The Protector
by consultingsorcererof221B
Summary: Harry Potter is about to start his first year at Hogwarts and Dumbledore doesn't think he can protect the boy so he sends a letter to an old friend. Will probably continue through all 7 books
1. Chapter 1

**Aithusa is a male dragon (seriously why does nobody else know this?!) but I kept referring to him as 'her' (probs cause all the fanfics) so in this fanfic (like so many others) Aithusa is female**

**P.S. YES there is proof, Kilgharrah says, "A white dragon is rare indeed and fitting since in the dragon tongue you named ****him**** after the light of the sun." **

**Yes I'm a nerd and no I don't care. Enjoy!**

Merlin sat in the rebuilt city with a drink in his hand, a newspaper in front of him and a dragon at his side. The lost city of Camelot had fallen. Merlin remembered walking through the ruins of the beautiful kingdom. His only true home had been reduced to rubble and all because he hadn't been around to stop it. In his grief Merlin created enchantments that prevented anybody from finding the lost city. Then he got to work on restoring the city. He'd started with the castle. Many of the rooms had been demolished but Merlin worked hard to rebuild it. With the help of his magic the kingdom was eventually restored. He knew that if Arthur did one day return then Camelot would be ready. Aithusa had come to him after the death of Morgana. The wounds she had suffered were severe and none of his healing spells affected her. Merlin soon discovered that the damage to her spine was preventing her from growing properly. Aithusa was to remain the same size for the rest of her life but Merlin didn't mind. Aithusa snoozed on the ground next to the counter. He remembered when the Tavern had been full of life. He smiled when he thought of Gwaine and his drunken habits. Like Aithusa, Merlin had wounds that would never properly heal.

Merlin glanced down at the copy of 'The Daily Prophet'. In an effort to stay up to date with the wizarding world he had bewitched an owl to bring him a copy every week. The Sunday paper was the only on with anything interesting in it anyway.

Merlin looked up in surprise when the Phoenix flew into the tavern and landed on the counter. It held an envelope in its beak. Merlin carefully removed it before nudging Aithusa. She looked up at him and blinked.

_What's that?_ She asked. He shrugged.

"It's from Hogwarts. I told an old friend that if he ever needed to contact me the bird would know the way. I hope everything's alright." Merlin stroked the bird lovingly.

"I don't remember the last time this little fellow came baring a letter.

_I do,_ Aithusa said.

"Don't you dare," Merlin warned.

_I recall you getting an awful lot of letters from Hilda_. Merlin glared at the dragon.

"Shut up," he said.

_She fancied you, _Aithusa added before laying her head back on the floor. Merlin opened the letter and skimmed its contents. Then he reread it before putting it back in the envelope.

_What is it?_ Aithusa asked.

Merlin stood up to search for parchment and a quill.

"We are being called out of retirement."

xxx

Dumbledore briefly wondered if he'd made the right decision. Somebody had to watch over the boy while he was at school and Dumbledore knew that he was getting old. He wasn't sure if he could protect the boy from harm. So he'd sent a letter to an old friend. He remembered meeting Merlin when he'd first become headmaster. It had been a surprise to say the least. Apparently the secret was passed on to every new headmaster at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore saw the Phoenix fly through the window and drop the letter on the desk. He opened it quickly and scanned the reply.

_Dear, Albus_

_I accept your proposal but I am bringing Aithusa with me. I know this might be inconvenient but I won't leave her alone. I'll be there soon._

_M_

xxx

Aithusa knew that the transfiguration was necessary. She knew that a crippled dragon would probably draw some attention. It had taken them a while to decide on a form. On the end they settled on a large white dove. Everybody in the wizarding world used owls to carry the post but Merlin knew that sometimes other birds were used.

They walked through the small town known as Hogsmead. Merlin whispered to her softly and Aithusa used telepathy to reply.

_Look! I don't remember that being there,_ Aithusa said as they passed a shop called 'Honeydukes'.

"They didn't really have sweets the last time we were here," Merlin muttered.

It didn't take him long to locate 'The Three Broomsticks'. When he entered he saw it was crowded. He spotted Albus and sat down opposite him.

"Good to see you old friend," Merlin said.

"Same to you," Albus replied.

Merlin waited for Albus to say something.

"Thank you for accepting the position at the school. As I said in the letter I need you to keep an eye on the boy. He will be starting his first year at Hogwarts in September and I need somebody I can trust."

Merlin paused, "What about Severus?"

"He's still trustworthy but there is so much history between him and the boy's parents."

Merlin understood, "Is the Care for Magical Creatures position available?"

Albus inclined his head, "The man teaching it is eager to go into retirement. I suppose it wouldn't be difficult to convince him to leave a few years early. Are you drawn to the job for any particular reason?"

Merlin shrugged, "I can understand my kin better than most. Besides, it doesn't require wand magic. That might be a bit of a giveaway."

Albus nodded and they started to discuss the living arrangements.

**Sorry if there are mistakes, plot bunnies are clouding my brain. I'll give it a quick once over in the morning**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I've kind of taken bits and pieces from both the movies and the books. Also I was disappointed to see that this got no reviews. How about this, if you enjoyed then just leave a :) so I know  
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Merlin entered his room and dumped his small bag on the floor. Aithusa flew in after him and perched on the bed.

_Change me back,_ she said. Merlin sighed but muttered an incantation. His eyes changed from blue to gold as she transformed. Aithusa let out a satisfied sigh before curling up at the foot of his bed. Merlin rolled his eyes started to unpack his things. Something told him that it would be a long year.

xxx

Apparently the previous teacher had decided to stay on for another year and since Dumbledore didn't want to straight up fire him he came up with an alternative. Since students don't normally start Care for Magical Creatures until third year the previous professor would continue to teach third years and up. Meanwhile Merlin would start teaching the first and second years.

"This way you will be the boy's professor," Albus had explained. Merlin had reluctantly agreed to this and briefly wondered what the children would be like. The timetable was adjusted and then it was official. Merlin was a professor. Aithusa let out a roar of laughter when she found out, she almost set fire to the curtains.

xxx

Merlin watched from the castle steps as the students stepped off the train. If anybody had been around they would have noticed that his normally blue eyes were golden. He was using a complex spell to improve the senses. He was using this spell to search the crowd for the Potter boy. He spotted him with a redheaded boy. Once he was satisfied that the boy had arrived without any incidents he closed his eyes and silently performed a counter spell. He knew that the students would be arriving soon so with a sigh he walked up the castle steps and made his way to the Great Hall.

Merlin sat at the teachers table and thought about how much the world had changed. Merlin hadn't actually _built_ Hogwarts but he had assisted. Despite his protests the founders had refused to let him cast protective wards with ancient magic. They said they were perfectly capable of creating the necessary protective enchantments. Back then 'new magic' had been quite similar to the magic of the old religion. They had only used wands to cast particularly powerful spells or enchantments. Of course as time progressed magic became somewhat diluted. Wands became more and more necessary until eventually the average wizard became incapable of basic levitation without one.

The older students flooded into the hall and voices echoed through the room. Merlin leaned back in his chair and waited for the sorting to begin. He smiled when he remembered creating the hat so many years ago. He vaguely wondered if anybody had pulled the sword from it yet.

A huge man walked through the doors and took a seat next to Merlin. He had a little magic in his blood and something else…something familiar…Giant perhaps? Yes, Merlin definitely recognised the magical aura of a giant. The man seemed quite friendly though. He turned and saw Merlin staring up at him.

"Hullo," he said. Merlin smiled and extended a hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Emryan Myles. I'm the, uh, part time Care for Magical Creatures teacher." Merlin decided that was the best way to describe his job. The giant shook his hand.

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds," he said cheerfully. Merlin remembered Albus saying that he could trust the giant so he nodded politely and took back his hand.

xxx

The sorting was long, slow and boring. Merlin remembered a time when maybe ten new students would join the school. The sorting hat seemed to have developed a personality over the years. Merlin had always known it was possible but never thought the hat would take up song writing. He supposed that life as a hate would be pretty boring so if it passed the time…

"Potter, Harry," Minerva called. Whispers erupted around the room. Merlin wondered which house he would be sorted into. He knew that the boy's parents were both from Gryffindor but that was no guarantee. Especially since…Oh god what was _wrong _with the boy?! Merlin practically flinched when the waves of dark energy hit him. Something had latched onto the boy's very soul…something very dark. The boy rubbed his forehead and stared at a greasy haired teacher with a hooked nose. The teacher stared back with cold eyes. The boy sat down on the stool and the hat was placed on his head. Merlin waited while the hat debated. Eventually the brim opened up and shouted,

"Gryffindor!"

xxx

Merlin walked into his room and sat down on the bed.

_How was it?_ Aithusa asked.

"Not bad. The food was pretty good and the other teachers were friendly enough."

_What about the boy?_

"He was sorted into Gryffindor. His friend was sorted into that house as well. Ron Weasley if I remember correctly…Something has latched onto his soul."

Aithusa blinked at him, _next time start with that._

"Yeah well I don't think it's affecting him. In fact I'm not sure if it was planted to taint him. The magic seemed almost…accidental."

_How does somebody _accidentally _plant dark magic in someone's soul?_ Aithusa asked.

"I'm not sure. I sensed ancient magic. Maybe the person was performing an ancient ritual and something went wrong?"

_Will it cause him any harm?_

Merlin paused before answering, "It's possible…I wonder if it's a magical being. The High Priestesses did like messing with magical parasites. Maybe somebody tried to curse him but something went wrong," Merlin suggested.

_Let's just hope that the beast doesn't grow in confidence, _Aithusa said.

xxx

"Hey look!" one of the Weasley twins said. The other twin joined the first.

"What is it Fred?" the George asked and scanned the timetable. Then he realized it.

"Dumbledore's changed the schedule! You don't normally start Care of Magical Creatures until third year. I don't recognise the name either, Professor Myles," George said.

"Bet he's the bloke that was sitting next to Hagrid," Fred said before handing Ron back his timetable.

"He seemed a bit young," George said.

"Yeah, wonder if he's any good."

Ron groaned, "We have him right after lunch."

"Well at least they were smart enough to put it after and not before. The dissecting part can put anybody off their food," Fred said.

"No they should have it _before_ lunch so the food doesn't make a reappearance," George argued. Ron looked slightly green when he put his timetable away.

"I seriously hope you're joking," he muttered before leaving the room. The Weasley twins grinned at each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin looked at the crowd of first years assembled in front of him. Somebody sometime had apparently decided to combine different houses for different classes. To put it bluntly, Merlin thought it was stupid. Who in their right mind would throw a snake and a lion in a cage? The logic was beyond him.

"I am Professor Myles and I will be teaching you Care of Magical Creatures. For our first lesson I thought we'd start with something fun." Merlin gestured for them to stay while he wandered into the deep forest. The unicorn was where he'd left it. He motioned for it to follow. Hopefully this would impress them.

The unicorn followed him into the clearing and he heard the students give a collective gasp. Merlin knew that most unicorns were nervy creatures but he used his magic to sooth it. The students stroked the beautiful creature while Merlin taught.

"According to legend there was once a keeper of the unicorns. They used to say that if you killed one he would appear and put you through a series of tests. If you failed then a terrible curse would darken the land. If you passed then the unicorn would live again. However, when the old ways died they say there wasn't enough magic to sustain him and the man became myth. They were hunted to near extinction before it became illegal. Now many unicorns live in the dark forest although they are very difficult to find and even harder to catch so don't get any ideas," he warned. "Remember, there are more than just unicorns in the dark forest."

A pale faced Slytherin boy snorted. Merlin raised an eyebrow, "What's your name?" he asked.

"Draco Malfoy," the boy said.

"Well, Mr Malfoy. Would you like me to introduce you to some of the creatures in the dark forest?"

The boy grew even paler.

"Don't worry I'll let you off. Just this once," Merlin added.

Merlin saw the Potter boy struggle to keep in his laughter. He gave him a wink before returning to the lesson.

xxx

Merlin liked to think that he was a good teacher. Yes some of the second years were a bit annoying but he'd managed to keep the threats to a minimum! Many of the students claimed that he was their favourite teacher since he always brought in a new and fascinating creature.

Merlin kept a close eye on the boy but soon came to the conclusion that it was pointless. He knew that Riddle was still alive but his presence was so weak...Merlin was surprised he could sense it at all. Nobody else would harm the boy, would they? Unless an old death eater decided to get revenge Merlin doubted anybody would want to harm him. Except…the potions master seemed a little _odd_. He seemed to have a deep hatred for the boy, why Merlin did not know. It was clearly more than the boy's house that bothered him. Merlin knew that traces of dark magic lingered around the man but he didn't seem particularly powerful. Merlin didn't understand him…until he saw the mark.

Merlin waited outside of the dungeon until the last class of the day ended. When the potions master was the only one left inside, Merlin knocked.

"Come in," the man's voice called. The dungeon was cold and dark but Merlin didn't mind. He closed the door behind him and approached the potions master.

Snape looked up at him, "How can I help you?" he asked as he put down his quill.

"I was actually wondering if I could get some powdered root of asphodel."

Snape looked surprised but disappeared into his storage cupboard before returning with a jar.

"How much do you require?" he asked.

"Oh a cupful should do the trick," Merlin replied.

"May I ask what this is for?" Snape asked as he started measuring it out.

"I'm making a rather potent sleeping potion. I plan on tricking a Seeter into swallowing it so I can show it to my second year class."

Snape paused as poured the powder into a bottle then continued the conversation.

"Seeters are quite rare. Are you sure you'll be able to find one?" Snape asked.

"Oh I've already found one. There's a nest of them in the dark forest, their quite easy to find if you know where to look." Merlin had actually used magic to enhance his senses so he could follow their tracks.

Snape passed him the bottle but for a brief moment Merlin saw his bare wrist. The tip of a faded marking was showing. Finally Merlin knew why he could feel traces of dark magic. The man was a death eater.

xxx

Merlin walked into Dumbledore's office and found the headmaster at his desk.

"Are you aware that the potions master is a former death eater?"

Albus looked up sharply then let out a sigh. Merlin waited for an explanation.

"I was hoping this wouldn't come up," he said.

Merlin frowned, "I knew there was something off about him. I sensed the dark magic when I first met him but it was too faint for me to recognise. So you think he's trustworthy?"

Albus nodded, "I trust Severus with my life."

Merlin hesitated before continuing, "Somebody has been practicing a dark magic, Albus. Did you know that somebody has been killing the unicorns? Somebody is drinking their blood. You'll notice that I say _somebody_ not _something_. Animals are smart enough to avoid the unicorns because killing something so pure comes with a cost. However, if someone is truly desperate to stay alive…"

Albus looked up sharply, "If you're implying that Severus-"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm just telling you that somebody in this school can't be trusted…make sure you know who you're friends are Albus."

xxx

Merlin still wasn't used to people calling the festival Halloween. There was a time when sorcerers across the globe would celebrate in secret as the magic inside them rose to the surface. Merlin's mother used to tell him stories about his first Hollow's Eve. He'd levitated every bit of furniture in the house. Merlin remembered it being hellish during the day. The slightest emotional spark and his magic would lash out. He had mostly stayed indoors. The night, however, was a different story. He remembered waiting for everybody to fall asleep before disappearing into the woods to let his magic loose. He never slept the night of Hollow's Eve. It was a day of pure magic. Apparently the students were also affected.

When the student's arrived for class they had been surprised to find their professor completely covered in mud. Merlin grinned at their expressions,

"I hope you appreciate all the work I put into capturing this particular specimen," he said before leading them to the edge of the forest. The Seeter lay completely motionless but the sight of the giant scorpion still gave them all a fright.

"This is a Seeter. It is heavily under the influence of a seriously strong sleeping draught so it won't wake up but I thought you might like to see it."

Merlin walked up to the Seeter and pointed at its tail that ended in a sharp point.

"This stinger is loaded with a deadly poison. There are antidotes but they only work if you get there fast enough." Merlin turned his head away so they wouldn't see his eyes change colour. The Seeter's tail whipped forward and jabbed Merlin in the shoulder. He let out a scream. The first years shrieked and moved to flee but the scream turned into a roar of laughter. Merlin carefully pulled the stinger from his shoulder. The wound was shallow and barely bled.

"I removed its venom before class started. I've been planning that all day!" he said and started laughing again. The first years were bewildered, had anybody ever been pranked by a teacher before?

Merlin gingerly patted the wound but it didn't hurt too much. His tolerance for pain was higher than the average person. Merlin was pleased with the results, the thing had barely scratched him and he'd successfully terrified his students. Merlin always had loved Hollow's Eve.

**Alright I don't know if everybody will like the fact that Merlin played a prank but it seemed like a fun thing to do and after the plot bunny entered my head it wouldn't leave. Again please leave some form of review (seriously people a happy face is enough).**


	4. Chapter 4

**The last part SEEMED long until I posted it (I judge the length by the word count) but this one actually IS long…I promise.**

Merlin came to the conclusion that the feast deserved the praise. He'd heard people speak of the legendary Halloween feasts. The magnificent food and the floating pumpkins and the live bats that fluttered around the room. Perched on Merlin's shoulder was Aithusa in her dove form because she'd simply refused to miss out on such an event

Merlin was wondering what Gwaine's opinion on apple pie would have been when Quirrel ran into the room.

"Troll in the dungeon!" he screamed then came to a halt in the middle of the room and muttered, "Thought you ought to know," before passing out. Panic brought out but Merlin calmly got to his feet.

"Silence!" Albus roared before calmly saying, "Prefects escort your houses back to their dormitories immediately!"

Merlin watched as the students were whisked away.

"Emryan," Albus said. Merlin turned to the headmaster. "Find out how the creature got in."

Merlin walked away as the other teachers accompanied Dumbledore on his way to the dungeons. When the room was empty Merlin muttered instructions to Aithusa who flew off. Merlin left the room started to trace the magic. Trolls were tricky creatures since they barely counted as a magical creature. Merlin heard two sets of footsteps running down the hall. They were probably students but weren't they in their house dormitories. Merlin took off after them. They stopped in the hallways giving Merlin the chance to catch up. He saw the Potter boy and his friend, the Weasley, were standing in the corridor. A scream erupted from inside the girl's bathroom and they barged in. The one called Ron shouted, "Hermione!"

Merlin frowned, Granger? He followed them in to see the troll wielding a massive club. The girl was in the corner, she looked like she was about to faint. Merlin pulled out the fake wand Dumbledore had given him before uttering a silent incantation. The troll was blasted back before slumping to the ground.

"Professor Myles?" Merlin turned to Harry.

"I think you three should go to your dormitories before the teachers find you here. I seriously doubt you want to try and explain why you're not in your dormitories. Not you Miss Granger, I want to take you to the hospital wing."

Ron and Harry rushed out still looking slightly stunned but before they left Merlin called out, "You showed real courage coming back for your friend. I do believe courage is something to be proud of in your house. Ten points to Gryffindor."

xxx

"I still can't believe how lucky we were," Ron said when they were in the common room.

"Yeah, what would have happened if Professor Myles hadn't arrived?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged before asking, "D'you think Hermione will be alright?"

"I think so. She was probably just traumatised or something. Madame Pomfrey will sort her out."

Less than an hour later Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room.

"Did you wait up for me?" she asked when she saw the two boys sitting by the fire.

"We just wanted to make sure you were alright," Harry said quickly.

"I'm fine…I am curious about Mr Myles though. Trolls are normally quite resilient. They're quite difficult to defeat because they can sort of absorb magic. Apparently they were once quite intelligent but over the years they've grown to be quite thick. Anyway, it would have taken a very powerful bit of magic to defeat a troll. At least defeat it directly. Most people enchant things around them since trolls are still vulnerable to physical attacks. They-"

Ron interrupted, "Not that this isn't interesting and everything but can we get to the point please?"

"My _point_ is why is an exceptionally powerful wizard teaching Care of Magical Creatures?"

xxx

Merlin turned a corner and was about to enter his room when he heard it.

_Forgetting something? _Merlin groaned and turned to see the dove perched on the windowsill.

"We'll talk inside," he muttered and opened the door. Aithusa flew inside and perched on the bed. When the door was closed Merlin transformed Aithusa back into a dragon.

_Snape wasn't with the teachers when they went down to the dungeons,_ Aithusa informed him.

"What? Where did he go?" Merlin asked.

_I'm not sure. I just know that he split off from the teachers before I joined them. The troll was found dead in a bathroom by the way. Your handiwork I assume,_ Aithusa said.

Merlin shrugged, "That doesn't matter. We need to find out what Snape's up to."

xxx

Other than Harry's incident concerning a bucking broom, nothing much happened between Halloween and Christmas. Students continued to show their enthusiasm although they didn't really trust him after the Halloween prank. Merlin didn't know it but the Weasley twins had taken an interest in him. A teacher willing to go to all that trouble for a prank was a good teacher in their books.

Merlin spent most of the Christmas holidays in the dark forest with Aithusa by his side. They'd come across a few centaurs who basically worshipped him. Like the druids the centaurs had prophecies and secrets. They'd said protecting the Potter boy was more important than he yet knew. Other than that they'd discovered a nest of giant spiders, a mysterious black lake and a hippogriff. From what Merlin could tell it was a close relative of the Griffin but more intelligent and less bloodthirsty. Merlin had also discovered a giant squid living in the black lake. It seemed to have a soft spot for Aithusa.

When the holidays came to an end Merlin was sad that his little adventures in the forest were coming to an end but he knew there would be plenty of time for that later. Something else was bothering him, he'd found another dead unicorn. During the Easter holidays Merlin went back out to try and find the creature responsible but he didn't have any luck. After the holidays classes started up again as usual but there was a strangely familiar magic lingering in the air. One morning Merlin woke up to find Aithusa staring out of the window.

"What are you doing?" Merlin yawned as he rolled out of bed.

_I don't know. Something sort of…off, _Aithusa explained.

Merlin frowned, "Yeah. What is that?" Aithusa let out the dragon equivalent of a shrug. She wasn't as experienced as Kilgharrah had once been. She couldn't spin riddles the way he could although every now and then she would make a prediction.

Merlin got changed and was on his way to the Great Hall when he passed a group of Slytherins that were practically jumping for joy.

"The house cup is ours for sure!" one of them shouted. Merlin raised an eyebrow as he remembered the point system. He could have sworn Gryffindor were in the lead. Merlin entered the Great Hall and cautiously approached Minerva McGonagall. He knew she was head of Gryffindor house. If anybody could explain the Slytherin student's excitement, it was her.

"Excuse me, Minerva. I couldn't help but overhear a group of students talking about the House cup and-"

Minerva sighed, "Miss Granger, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy were caught out of bed after hours. Each student lost fifty points and earned a detention."

Merlin was quite shocked by this but didn't press the matter. Clearly Minerva was humiliated by their behaviour and so was Merlin. That just left one question, why were they wandering the grounds at night?

xxx

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Malfoy waited in the Entrance Hall at 11 o'clock as the letter had requested. Filch met them while Mrs Norris followed close behind.

"Follow me," said Filch as they all walked outside. His lamp cast eerie shapes in the darkness. As he walked he told them about the old punishments. They were expecting the worst when they reached the dark forest.

"Hello students, Mr Filch," a familiar voice said.

"Professor Myles!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Don't sound so pleased," grumbled Filch. "Where's Hagrid?"

"Here, sorry I'm late," Hagrid puffed. He had a crossbow in his hand.

"You alright there Harry?" he asked. Filch glared before walking back up the hill. He left the second lantern with them.

"You want to explain, Professor?" Hagrid asked.

"Alright, something has been killing the unicorns in the forest. Well Hagrid found trails of blood in the forest and it's our job to try and find the poor creature before it bleeds out. We-"

Malfoy interrupted, "We can't go into the forest! There are all sorts of things in there. Werewolves and…Seeters!" he added remembering their lesson.

"The Seeters live in on the other side of the forest. The unicorn wouldn't have made it that far in its condition. As for the werewolves…" Merlin shot Harry a quick smile.

"There are two trails so we'll be splitting into two groups. I will be accompanying Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy while Hagrid will be accompanying Mr Weasley and Miss Granger. Hagrid, do you have Fang with you?" Hagrid lowered his lantern to reveal the dog that was lying at his feet. "Bloody coward," Hagrid muttered.

"What about us? They have Fang and a crossbow. What do we have?" Malfoy demanded. Merlin raised an eyebrow and made a strange noise that sounded like a sort of hissing roar. A large dove perched on his shoulder.

"Brilliant," Malfoy muttered.

xxx

Merlin followed the trail closely. The creature was bleeding heavily.

_What kind of creature would slay something so pure?_ Aithusa asked. Merlin just shook his head. The unicorn had clearly staggered around for a while. The trail split apart again.

"Go that way, find us if you find anything," Merlin called to the bird. Malfoy and Harry watched in surprise as the bird took off. They continued down the path for a while before they stepped into a clearing. A cloaked figure leaning over a unicorn that was covered in silvery blood, it was very clearly dead.

Malfoy screamed and bolted. The figure looked up and turned its attention to the remaining two figures.

"Harry, get DOWN!" Merlin yelled and pushed the boy out of the way. The cloaked figure glided towards them and Merlin whipped out the fake wand. Before he could use his magic a centaur leaped into the clearing. The cloaked figure ran from the scene. The centaur turned back to Merlin and Harry.

"Thank you Firenze," Merlin said as he put away the wand.

"No need for thanks. Are you alright?" the centaur asked. The question was directed at Harry.

"Yes. Thank you," Harry said as he got to his feet.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell? Sorry about that by the way," Merlin muttered.

"You were trying to save my life, sir," Harry said. Merlin waved it off.

"Harry?" It was Hagrid's voice.

"You know the dangers of knowing your destiny," Firenze said to Merlin. "I cannot tell you what it to come but I must say that the need for magic is great. Trust in Aithusa's abilities. She is at a key point in her life."

Merlin bowed his head, "Thank you Firenze, I am sure the triple goddess has great plans for you centaur." Firenze smiled a little shyly. Harry didn't understand what was being said but looked like Professor Myles had paid the centaur a compliment.

They left the centaur in the clearing and started to walk back the way they'd come. Harry was about to ask about the triple goddess when they saw Hagrid accompanied by a terrified looking Malfoy.

"There you are! Did you find anything?" Hagrid asked.

xxx

Harry sat quietly in the common room. Finally he spoke up,

"Hermione, have you ever heard of something called 'The Triple Goddess'?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up from her textbook.

"Yes, have you been doing research on the Philosopher's Stone?" she asked. Harry was startled by the question.

"No, why do you ask?" Hermione looked disappointed.

"Well, The Triple Goddess was worshipped in the times of the old religion. Since the Philosopher's Stone was forged by ancient magic I thought maybe you'd been looking into it."

Hermione closed the textbook, "The Philosopher's Stone was originally meant to mimic the effects of the Cup of Life. Supposedly the Cup of Life was an ancient artefact owned by the 'High Priestesses'. According to legend, if you drank from the cup it could cure any injury but if you put some of your blood in the cup you would become immortal. Nicolas Flamel became convinced that this was more than just a myth and started working with old magic. Back then ancient magic was uncommon but still practiced. After _many_ years he finally created the Philosopher's Stone."

**I think 2,000 words deserves a happy face review**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, here's the next part. Yes it's short but I'll have the next part up soon. I hope everybody enjoys and leave a :)**

Harry Potter knocked on the door. After a few moments Merlin finally appeared.

"Oh, Mr Potter…Can I help you?" Harry looked uncomfortable.

"Can I come in professor?" he asked.

"Sure," Merlin opened the door wider so Harry could squeeze through. Harry opened his mouth to speak then changed his mind.

"Where's your bird?" he asked politely. Merlin knew he wasn't sure how to begin the conversation so he played along.

"She tends to come and go. She's used to a bit more freedom than this," Merlin explained. Harry nodded and stood awkwardly.

"I was wondering if…you could tell me about the triple goddess," Harry said quickly. Merlin was surprised. He hadn't seen _that_ one coming.

Merlin sat down on the bed, "May I ask why?"

"Well I heard you talking to the centaur about it and…I was just curious."

Merlin nodded and wondered where to begin. "What do you know about the subject?"

Harry shrugged, "I know that the old religion worshipped it. Not much else."

"Well…It's not really that simple. This was in a time of old magic and there were people who…There were people who believed the triple goddess could control fate and destiny. There was a sort of sisterhood if you will and the triple goddess spoke through them. They would deliver warnings and…It's really difficult to explain," Merlin said with a sigh. The conversation was bringing back bad memories.

"So when you said that thing to the centaur…about the triple goddess having plans for him…"

"The centaurs are creatures of the old religion and they still believe in the triple goddess, when I said that it basically meant I thought he was worthy of his god's attention. Is that all you wanted to know?" Merlin asked. He suddenly felt very tired.

"What about the cup of life?" Harry asked. Merlin wore a bewildered expression.

"Where on _earth_ did you hear about the cup of life?" Merlin was beginning to wonder if he should have opened the door.

"I just read about it in a book. That's linked to the old religion too though, isn't it?"

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "Maybe you should be asking your history teacher about things that belong in the past," Merlin suggested.

Harry gave him a funny look, "Professor are you _crying_?"

Merlin angrily swiped at his tears, "I don't know anything now please, Mr Potter, leave."

"But-"

"GET OUT!" Merlin roared.

Harry practically ran out of the door. Merlin slammed it shut behind him and collapsed on the bed. It was all his fault, Arthur was gone and it was all because of _him_.

xxx

When Harry returned to the common room he quickly relived his experiences.

"Harry you shouldn't have pushed him! He was obviously upset for some reason."

"But if the stone is made from old magic then maybe we can use old magic to protect it!" Ron argued. Hermione snorted,

"Ancient magic was seriously powerful. It was _wandless_ magic Ron. Are suggesting we try and learn a type of magic that not even the most powerful wizards of our age can master?"

"Right," Ron said glumly.

"I feel like Myles knew more than he was letting on. Maybe he knows something about the-"

"Harry, leave the poor man alone. He obviously doesn't want to talk about it. You said he was _crying_ when you left his room. Why don't we stop focusing on the old religion? The stone is well protected, after all, who's going to get past Fluffy?

xxx

In a flash of gold Merlin was running up the staircase and barging into Dumbledore's office but the office was empty. Merlin ran down the steps and walked straight into Professor McGonagall.

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Merlin asked.

"Dumbledore received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic. He's currently on his way to London. Is there a problem, Professor?" she asked. McGonagall could see that something was troubling him but Merlin knew she couldn't help him. Nobody could. Why had he decided to come to Hogwarts in the first place? Merlin could see that it had all been one huge mistake. He was planning on returning to Camelot that night.

**Haha, I almost kept going because it was so short but decided since the last chapter was so long I'd leave you with a cliffie**


	6. Chapter 6

**The tasks are from the book. I liked the idea of having the extra tasks.**

_Merlin, _Aithusa called. Merlin knew she was far away so he reluctantly summoned an ancient magic that the druids had once used so regularly.

_Where have you been Aithusa? _Merlin asked angrily.

_Merlin somebody is going to try and steal the Philosopher's Stone. Harry Potter and his friends know this. I think they're going to try and stop the thief._

Merlin stopped packing and sat down.

_What?_ Dumbledore had explained the situation to Merlin. The stone was hidden somewhere in the castle because its creator had suspected some of Voldemort's old supporters were trying to bring him back.

_How do you know?_

Aithusa hesitated, I_ heard Potter and his friend's talking to McGonagall. They seemed convinced._

Merlin hesitated. As much as he hated to admit it, he grown attached to the boy. What if he died?

_What do you know about the stone Aithusa? _Merlin asked.

_Just that it was originally based on the cup of life,_ Aithusa responded.

Merlin thanked her and got to his feet. A glance out of the window told him that it was late, he had to work quickly. Once he had determined what type of magic he was looking for, Merlin was able to track it. The stone was quite powerful so it didn't take him long.

Merlin stopped outside of a door on the third floor and tried the handle. To Merlin's surprise the door swung open. Merlin stepped inside to find a three headed dog staring back at him.

_"Swefn,"_ Merlin muttered before the dog could make a move. It slumped to the ground, fast asleep. Merlin let out a sigh of relief and looked around. A trap door lay open. Merlin jumped and used magic to cushion his fall. Somebody had blasted a hole in the floor that was covered in a strange plant Merlin recognised as Devil's Snare. Merlin wondered if the thief had created the hole or if Harry had.

The next room was filled with keys. Merlin recognised the magic used on the door. It was powerful for modern magic but compared to _old_ magic the enchantment was nothing. All Merlin had to do was figure out what spell would best interact with the new magic. Well, that had been the plan until he heard a shout from the other side of the door.

"RON!" He heard Harry shout. Merlin swore and went for a far from graceful but effective spell.

_"Tóspringe!"_ he shouted. His eyes flashed as the door was blown clean off its hinges. He saw Harry and Hermione crouching over Ron.

"Professor?" squeaked Hermione.

"What happened to him?" Merlin asked as he checked the boy's pulse. He frowned as he became aware of their surroundings.

"Did somebody use a joining charm on him? That means that…Oh no, you sacrificed his piece didn't you?"

Hermione paled, "Will he be alright?"

Merlin sighed, "He's didn't die instantly which is a good sign. The chess board clearly wasn't enchanted with malicious intent. He should be fine but we should get him to Madame Pomfrey…What's wrong Harry?"

Harry looked uncomfortable, "I think Snape wanted to steal the stone…That means he's probably up ahead. I can't just let him steal it."

"Professor Snape? I guess it's better to make sure…" Merlin thought quickly, "Let me have a look at the next task."

Merlin's heart fell when he saw the troll lying face down with a lump on its head. Harry peered around him.

"See! Someone _has_ been here. We have to stop them!"

Merlin sighed and reluctantly beckoned Hermione to follow them. They stepped into the next room and purple flames sprouted up behind them. At the other end of the room black flames blocked the path ahead.

"Great," Merlin muttered.

"There's a message," Hermione said. She seized the roll of parchment and began to read aloud .

_"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,  
>Two of us would help you, whichever you would find,<br>One among the Seven will let you move ahead,  
>Another will transport the drinker back instead,<br>Two among our number hold only nettle wine,  
>Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.<br>Choose, unless you wish to stay here evermore,  
>To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:<br>First, however slyly the poison tries to hide  
>You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;<br>Second, different are those who stand at either end,  
>But if you would move onwards, neither is you friend;<br>Third as you see clearly, all are different size,  
>Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;<br>Fourth, the second left and the second on the right  
>Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."<em>

"This isn't magic – it's logic – a puzzle. The paper explains everything. Seven bottles: three are poison, two are wine, one to let us pass backwards and one to lead us ahead. If you give me a minute I'm sure I could-"

"Hold on a minute," Merlin interrupted. "Three of those bottles are _poison_?" We can't take that risk."

Hermione looked irritated, "But professor if we don't pick one, we won't be able to leave!"

Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment then wandered away from the table and looked at the fire.

_Aithusa, have you ever heard of black fire?_ Merlin asked.

_Yes, it's also known as demon fire. If somebody passes through it they die quickly and painfully._

Merlin winced, _of course they do. Have you ever heard of a potion that safely allows the person to pass through the flames?_

Merlin noticed her hesitation.

_Yes, it's a complicated potion that looks green and tastes like ice. _

Merlin scanned the bottles. There was only one green potion. He picked up the tiny bottle and held it up to the light.

_Found it. Thanks Aithusa._ Merlin closed the connection before she could change her mind. He swallowed the potion and felt his insides turn to ice. He coughed,

"Found the right one," he muttered as Hermione and Harry looked at him with pure horror painted on their faces.

Merlin walked through the flames and turned back to them.

"Don't do anything stupid, I'll come back for you when I'm done." Before they could argue he turned away from them. The next room was a chamber and somebody stood in front of a mirror. The person wasn't Snape.

**Dun, DUN, DUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all realize that I've been posting a chapter a ****_day._**** Seriously leave a review to show you actually appreciate that.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this one turned out a bit comical and then suddenly got quite dark…Also I want to give special thanks to Catherineismylion (bet you're surprised to see your name here) for the lovely reviews and the constructive criticism. I will work on that. This special thank you expands to ALL the other (4) people that bothered to leave a review. You're all amazing. I guess I should also thank the people who followed and faved (seriously can't understand why but I'm not complaining!). I hope you all continue to read this since I have a special announcement. I have decided to write about the second book! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO please show you support this decision with a =D and leave a :) if you enjoyed. Well, if you have anything to say then also mention that in your review.**

Quirrel frowned when he turned to see Merlin standing at the entrance to the chamber.

"Professor Myles? What are _you_ doing here? I never realized you suspected my plan, Snape yes, Harry and his little friends, yes but _you_? Have we even been formally introduced?"

Merlin also frowned, "Well if it makes you feel any better I wasn't expecting to see you here either. Not that this place isn't nice...The security is a tad dramatic but other than that…I'm sorry but I'm a little confused. I was under the impression that Professor Snape was the one trying to steal the stone."

"What on _earth_ gave you that idea?" Quirrel asked.

"Well…I found out that he was a death eater so that kind of implied…I guess I was mistaken. So are you trying to steal the stone for yourself or is there a greater force at work?"

"Well," Quirrel began but a hissing voice interrupted.

_"Stop fooling around, seize him!"_ Quirrel stood a little straighter and snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped around Merlin.

"Am I mistaken in saying that you're using a little bit of ancient magic? No, I would have noticed the power one requires to use ancient magic alone…You're cheating aren't you? I don't generally search for signs of possession and the thing latched onto you…It's not even really possessing you is it? No, it's more of a leech. So what is it exactly? I know it's not a Fomorroh since I can see in your reflection that you don't have a scar on the back of your neck. Has somebody influenced you using Mandrake Root? I heard you took a little vacation recently. It would make sense. Maybe yo-"

"SILENCE!" Quirrel shrieked. The ropes tightened.

"Yes you're right. The Mandrake Root wouldn't explain the increased magic and as far as I can tell the effects of the Fomorroh dampens magic, it doesn't increase it. So that means we're back to the leech idea then."

_"Who is this man with such wisdom of the old ways?"_ a hissing voice asked.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot about that. Alright, I give up. What possesses you?" Merlin asked.

"Silence Myles, I need to examine this mirror properly," Quirrel snapped.

"Yes well as much fun as this little meet up has been I must end this. I can't let you steal that stone," Merlin said.

"Oh yes and what are _you_ going to do about it?" Quirrel sneered.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the ropes fell away from him. Quirrel went pale.

_"Forbærne yfel,"_ Merlin said calmly. A circle of fire surrounded Quirrel, cutting him off from the mirror.

"What magic is this?" he cried out in alarm.

_"Fool, extinguish the flames and kill him!"_ the hissing voice commanded.

"Professor Quirrel, is that you?" Harry Potter's voice rang out. Merlin silently cursed and slipped out a wand.

"Look away Harry. He's been trying to kill you all year, not Snape. He's willingly allowing a dark creature to possess him. I can't let him live," Merlin said quietly.

"Professor Quirrel, you've been trying to kill me?" he asked.

Quirrel sneered, "Of course I have stupid boy. I would have killed you at that Quidditch match if Snape hadn't hit me when his robes caught fire."

Harry's eyes widened, "Snape…saved my life?"

Quirrel smiled, "Ironic isn't it? He even tried muttering a counter curse, not that it would have done any good."

Merlin turned his head a fraction so he could see Harry out of the corner of his eye while still looking at Quirrel. "Please Harry you shouldn't have to see this. Turn away."

Harry reluctantly obeyed and Merlin flicked the fake wand for effect. His eyes flashed and the circle of fire swallowed Quirrel. He screamed but the magically enhanced fire quickly ended his miserable existence. The flames died away and Merlin's eyes turned blue once more.

"I'm sorry Harry but there was something very dark latched onto his soul. I had to destroy him completely or the thing would have lived on." Merlin decided to ignore the dark magic left on Harry's soul…At least for the time being. He awkwardly put a hand on Harry's shoulder then changed his mind and left his hands at his side.

"Let's get back to the castle. We have a lot of explaining to do."

Merlin turned to leave when he noticed something stirring near Quirrel's remains. Merlin saw what looked like a face of smoke rise out of the remains and throw itself in Harry's direction. Merlin dived in front of the boy and collapsed when the smoke cloud passed straight through him. Merlin saw Harry's face before the world faded into darkness.

xxx

Merlin woke up in the hospital wing and struggled to remember why he was there. Dumbledore stood at the foot of his bed.

"Hello old friend," he said softly. Merlin sat up and frowned.

"Somebody gave me a sleeping draught."

"Ah, you may have regained consciousness when you were on the stretcher. You gave Madame Pomfrey quite a fright. Apparently she thought you would be out for several days at least. You're a medical marvel," Albus said.

Merlin chuckled at that, "If only she knew the half of it."

_Merlin, after you were knocked out I came looking for you. Some woman was trying to drug you,_ Aithusa said.

Merlin blinked, _what did you do?_

_Well I _tried_ to peck her eyes out but she wasn't very happy about that so she tried to stun me._

Merlin was confused until he realized that Aithusa was still a dove.

_Are you alright? Wait, is _she_ alright?_

_Yes we're both fine. Professor Dumbledore sorted it all out. Can I come and see you?_ Aithusa pleaded.

"Albus can you open the window so Aithusa can get in?" Merlin asked. Dumbledore opened the window while Merlin sent her instructions. Soon the dove was soaring through the window. She perched on his knee and looked at him expectantly.

"I can't change you back Aithusa. Anybody could walk in here and see you," Merlin explained aloud. Merlin had never realized that a bird was capable of looking so angry before. Aithusa nipped his hand but soon she was happily sitting in his lap.

xxx

Slytherin won the house cup although it had been a close call. Merlin obviously made a full recovery. Harry was particularly relieved that there was no permanent damage. Merlin remembered feeling responsible for someone else's death only too well. He didn't want Harry to experience something like that any time soon.

Madame Pomfrey was reluctant to let him leave the hospital wing but there was technically nothing wrong with Merlin so she let him go but told him to tell her if he experienced any side effects. Merlin insisted that the stone be destroyed and Albus agreed wholeheartedly. Flamel was beginning to understand that immortality was overrated so he seemed okay with it.

Somewhere out there Voldemort continued his miserable existence. What he'd been reduced to didn't contain a shred of humanity but it lived. Merlin blamed himself for that. If he hadn't acted so instinctually he could have stopped the thing forever. As long as it lived Harry's life would be in danger. Ideas of returning to Camelot were banished from his mind. It was his fault the boy was in danger, it only made sense that he continued to protect him.

Merlin watched the students board the train and he gave Harry a little wave. Hopefully the next year would be a little less stressful, Merlin thought to himself.

If only he knew then how wrong he was.

**I'll have the next chapter out VERY soon. I'm not entirely pleased with this ending but hopefully you all enjoyed!  
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**Also I know I released this one early but I have a huge back-draft and I'm trying to catch up with myself**


	8. B2 ch 1

**Haha! Told you I'd give you the next chapter soon. I hope I'm not overwhelming all of you with the amount of chapters. Also tell me what you want to see throughout this story. A few people told me to include the Golden Trio more so I'm doing my best and one person said that I should try and make Merlin more like the one from the TV show. I've tried to do that a bit more here so let me know if it's working out for you.**

Merlin hesitated before knocking on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in," a voice said from within. Merlin entered and shut the door behind him.

"You said you wanted to speak with me," Merlin said.

"Yes I thought I'd give you an update on Harry's current situation."

Merlin frowned, "Has something happened?"

"Actually quite a lot has happened. Harry received an official warning from the Ministry of Magic because he used magic outside of school. He was then punished by his muggle guardians before he was 'rescued' by his friend Ron Weasley. He's now staying with them. I've just written to them asking about his current situation. Ron's parents responded saying he was fine and they seemed perfectly happy with letting him stay for the rest of the summer. He's going to Diagon Alley to pick up his school supplies tomorrow. I was wondering if you would go down there to keep an eye on him."

Merlin felt a little faint. He knew the boy had a knack for getting into trouble but getting an official warning from the Ministry?

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on him. I think it would be for the best," Merlin said. He almost walked into the door on the way out. What _had_ he gotten himself into?

xxx

Merlin scanned the crowded street for any sign of Harry. After several minutes a giant that Merlin recognised as Hagrid strolled into the street. A very dusty looking Harry was trailing behind him.

_Why's he covered in soot?_ Aithusa asked. Merlin glanced at the dove on his shoulder.

_How should I know?_ Merlin replied.

"Professor Myles," Harry exclaimed. Merlin smiled,

"Hello Harry, Hagrid," he said nodding to the giant.

"Hello Emryan," Hagrid replied.

"Harry, Hagrid, Professor?" a familiar voice asked. They turned to see Hermione rush towards them.

"What did you do to your glasses?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Harry replied sheepishly. "Have you seen Ron?"

Just as Harry said it the family spotted him.

"Harry! I'm so glad you're alright!" Mrs Weasley said.

"Where did you end up?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Harry replied.

"Wicked," the twins exclaimed.

"Well Harry, looks like you're in safe hands. Best be off then," Hagrid said. He nodded to Merlin who gave an awkward smile back. He still wasn't sure how to act around the giant.

xxx

Merlin watched the family disappear into Gringotts. He went to a small café that had tables placed outside and watched as the trio travelled from shop to shop. He mostly spoke with Aithusa who liked watching all the witches and wizards pass by.

_It must be nice to live here,_ she said longingly. _There is so much magic in the air and so much life._

Merlin thought about this. _Your breed can live for thousands of years and I'm immortal. Maybe one day we'll stay here for a few months,_ Merlin suggested.

_That's not what I mean Merlin. Look around you, witches and wizards are living peacefully and freely. They don't have to hide who they are from the world. No matter what I will still be an extinct dragon and you will be a dead warlock. We can never live freely like they can._

Merlin hesitated, _do you want me to reveal myself to the world?_

Aithusa let out a telepathic sigh. _I don't know. It's a nice dream but I know that the people in the wizarding world would never leave us alone._

Merlin understood what she meant. No matter what there was always a secret to hide. In Camelot it was magic, in Hogwarts it was his identity _and_ his magic. They could only be free when they were alone. Merlin wondered if things would ever change or if secrets were simply a burden he would have to bare.

xxx

Merlin watched Harry leave with Ron's family and let out a sigh of relief.

_I suppose we'll be leaving now,_ she said sadly.

_Well since Harry is gone I guess we have no reason to stay…Except I was thinking about buying some new books on magical creatures and I thought that maybe a certain dragon might want a present._

He could feel the dragon's happiness.

_I need to stop by Gringotts first though,_ Merlin said quickly. They entered the bank and waited in line.

"May I help you?" the goblin asked. Merlin reached for the chain around his neck and pulled it off. He placed a ring with Camelot's seal in front of the Goblin. His eyes widened and he immediately snatched it up to examine it properly. When he realized it was legitimate he handed it back to Merlin.

"Very well sir. Somebody will escort you to the vault of Emrys immediately."

One _long_ train journey later Merlin was standing on a platform deep underground. Aithusa had spent the journey in his lap. The goblin held a small metal object that rattled in his grip. When they continued Merlin realized just how much the bank had changed. A large dragon stood guard outside of the vaults. The small object in the goblin's hand made a sound that caused the dragon to cower in fear.

"There's no need for that," Merlin said quickly.

The goblin reluctantly stopped and watched as Merlin switched into the dragon tongue.

_"What they've done to you is wrong but I cannot help you now. One day I will come back for you but right now I need to access my vault. Will you let us pass?"_ Merlin asked.

The dragon hesitated before answering in the same ancient language, _"The goblins have tortured me but you have a kind heart, dragonlord. You may pass."_

Merlin bowed his head and passed the dragon. The goblin reluctantly followed. When they arrived at the vault Merlin pressed the ring against it. The door swung open. When Gringotts had first opened Merlin had cast complicated and ancient enchantments on the door. Only someone who had the ring could open the vault and the ring itself had to be willingly given.

Merlin had gone to a lot of trouble to retrieve the ring. The ring was stolen when Camelot fell. Merlin had spent years tracking down the thief. When he finally retrieved it he cast the enchantment. If someone tried to take the ring without his permission they would find themselves unable to lift it.

The vault of Emrys was filled with things from the past. Excalibur rested in on a stand in the corner, the cup of life stood on a table and a painting of Camelot that Merlin had salvaged from the castle was propped up against the wall. Merlin glanced at the staff he had stolen from an exiled she. His gaze travelled from that to a glass case that held one of his most precious items, the rabbit's foot given to him by Gaius.

Merlin brushed away his tears and filled a small leather bag with money from the pile in the corner. Aithusa remained silent. She knew that the items in the vault overwhelmed him. When he was done he closed the vault and checked the enchantments were in place before turning away. He left the reminders of his old life in the dark and silently prayed that the friends he'd lost would one day return.

**Sorry not much happened in this chapter but it all becomes relevant. Also I hope all you fans out there remember the rabbit's foot. If you don't then all this just got very confusing. **


	9. B2 ch 2

**Some of the dialogue has been altered, sorry if that bothers you.**

Merlin was looking forward to the beginning of term for two reasons. One, he was looking forward to the daily routine of teaching classes. Two, he wanted to keep an eye on Harry. Obviously he wouldn't get into any trouble on the way to Hogwarts. No, he would be safe until he got into the castle, Merlin thought to himself. I mean, how could he _possibly_ do any damage before school started?

xxx

"You were seen by no less than seven muggles," Snape said as he threw down the newspaper. "Do you have _any_ idea how serious this is? You risked the exposure of our world! Not to mention the damage done to the extremely valuable Womping Willow. Unfortunately you are not in Slytherin but mark my words, if you were I'd see you both on the train home, _tonight!_ However, you are in Gryffindor and Professor McGonagall decides your fate. She seems to have spared you this time but she will be writing to both of your families and she will provide a suitable punishment when she sees fit. You are dismissed."

xxx

Merlin looked up at the Womping Willow. It had sustained serious damage but Professor Sprout had done an excellent job at mending it. Merlin began the walk back to the castle. He'd received a letter from Professor Dumbledore explaining that he needed something to guard the entrance to a secret passageway but the thing couldn't be too obvious. Merlin had replied saying that he would come up with a solution. In the end he decided to enchant a tree since it didn't seem like the most obvious of guards. It had been difficult but Merlin had a knack for elemental magic. When Merlin had heard that one of his proudest achievements had been hit with a flying car...Let's just say a mysterious tremor had shaken the Great Hall.

Aithusa swooped down and perched on his shoulder. They'd already finished with the morning classes and they were free for the rest of the day.

_Can we go to the Dark Forest?_ Aithusa pleaded. It was one of the few places where she could roam free in her dragon form.

Merlin was about to answer when he heard somebody behind him. He spun around to see a blonde haired man walking down the path. He spotted Merlin and waved before hurrying over.

"Hello! I don't think we've met although you probably know me," he gave what he probably thought was a charming smile. Merlin got the feeling that he thought a lot of himself.

"Actually I haven't the faintest. Should I know you?" Merlin asked. The man faltered.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, writer of _Break with a Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags_," Gilderoy listed. When it was clear that Merlin didn't recognise the titles he continued rather desperately.

"Surely you've heard of _Voyage with Vampires_ or _Wanderings with Werewolves._" Nothing

"_Year with the Yeti, Travels with Trolls_?" Lockhart said desperately.

"Sorry I've never heard of you. Although I mostly read, uh, older works," Merlin explained. Lockhart brightened considerably.

"Is that so? Well then you really don't know what you're missing out on!"

"I prefer to teach from experience," Merlin said politely and wondered how best to end the conversation without insulting the man.

"Really, what do you teach?" he asked.

"I, uh, teach Care of Magical Creatures part time."

Lockhart looked excited, "Well then you really must take a look at some of my work. I think you'll find _Travels with Trolls_ particularly enlightening."

Merlin looked uncomfortable, "I've actually encountered trolls before. I've met a lot of creatures before now if you'll excuse me I've got the afternoon off." Merlin turned away and hoped he hadn't hurt the man's feelings but he just followed Merlin.

"I have the afternoon off too," Lockhart said happily. Merlin silently cursed.

_How do I get rid of him?_ Merlin asked Aithusa.

_How should I know?_ Aithusa replied. She seemed incredibly amused.

"So how are you planning on spending your time?" Lockhart asked happily.

"In the Dark Forest," Merlin muttered irritably. Lockhart faltered once again.

"I thought it was filled with dangerous creatures," he said.

"Oh it is but I find the walk refreshing. Just watch your step. You wouldn't want to accidentally step on a Nathair would you?" Merlin asked as a plan began to form in his head.

"I don't think I've ever heard of a Nathair," Lockhart said uncertainly.

"Most people haven't. They're ancient snakes, one bite will inflict pain that peaks the limit of human intolerance," Merlin said. He knew that there were no Nathairs in the forest…But Lockhart didn't have to know that.

"Oh?" he asked. Merlin nodded eagerly.

"Yes so you better stay out here. That way if you hear my screams you can come in and save me!" Merlin said. Lockhart muttered something about that being a great idea and Merlin practically ran into the trees.

_That was exhausting,_ Merlin complained as he finally came to a stop. He doubled over as he gasped for breath.

_That was amusing. Let's hope he doesn't try to follow us in here. He might get bitten by a Nathair, _Aithusa said. Merlin glared at her.

xxx

Merlin did his best to avoid Lockhart. Fortunately since their conversation he had avoided the Dark Forest completely. Merlin began to relax as Halloween began to approach. The magic that made up every fibre of his being was buzzing, desperate to escape. A week before Halloween the rumours began to spread like wildfire. Last year Merlin had proved himself by faking a Seeter attack during class. There was just one question that needed answering. What did he have planned this year? Merlin knew the first and second years were expecting the prank so he came up with a plan. He would prank them the day _after_ Halloween so they wouldn't expect it. Merlin smiled as he planned out the event. On Halloween he would sneak into the kitchens and ask the House Elves for the raw meat. Then he just needed to plant the bait and capture one of the giant spiders he'd seen. During the lesson a temporarily paralysed arachnid would fall from a tree and land _right_ in front of the students. Everything was perfect. He just needed the raw meat.

xxx

Merlin fled the kitchens while everybody was eating in the Great Hall. He hoped his presence wouldn't be sorely missed. Merlin cursed as he stepped on something that let out a hiss. He shifted his hold on the large brown sack so he could see. Mrs Norris was staring up at her. Merlin quickly looked around but it seemed that Filch was, for once, not around. He let out a sigh but then he saw the cat freeze up. It became unnaturally stiff and seemed to rock for a moment. Merlin frowned and turned around to see a pair of great big yellow eyes staring at him from the shadows.

**Yes, I'm ending it there. I hope you particularly enjoyed this chapter. Sorry but something tells me Merlin won't get the chance to play his Halloween prank...**

**Oh and THIS is important. All of THIS takes a lot of effort and I'm tired of you lot being too lazy to leave a review. If you want the next part, leave a review. SERIOUSLY guys I need to know you actually LIKE this series**


	10. B2 ch 3

**Glad to see people wanted to keep reading! Yes, special thanks to Guest, Guest and Guest (you know who you are)! I am _particularly_ proud of this chapter. I hope you all understand why and don't think I overdid it. Oh god now I'm panicking about your reactions.**

***Breathes Deeply***

**Enjoy this chapter! I decided to post it early because Guest actually posted a review**

Merlin wasn't aware of it when he fell to the ground. He didn't realize it when his clothes soaked up the water on the ground. He didn't notice the creature slither away or see the redheaded girl run. He didn't notice Harry, Ron and Hermione race around the corner. All of his concentration was focused on containing his magic that threatened to burst. He couldn't let the wave of magic loose. What he was containing was raw power, more than capable of destroying anything in his general vicinity. Merlin screamed and blinked, his eyes were golden and shining. He squeezed his eyes shut before anybody could see. It was instinctual for him to hide his magic. His hands balled into fists as he felt relatively tiny ripple of magic escape. He heard windows shatter and the stone beneath him cracked.

_Keep calm, hold it in, keep calm, hold it in,_ he chanted silently. He could hear people running, so many people. He couldn't hurt them. He couldn't kill them.

_Keep calm, hold it in, keep calm, hold it in,_ he chanted over and over. Merlin was completely oblivious of the situation unfolding around him.

xxx

Harry followed the sound of the voice. Ron and Hermione looked sceptical until they heard the scream. They sprinted towards the source of the sound and saw Professor Myles lying on the floor. He was shaking all over. He looked at them but didn't see them. His eyes were golden as he blinked at them. The gold began to shine brightly and he squeezed them shut.

"P-Professor?" asked Hermione. He let out a scream and hit the ground. A crack spread across the floor beneath his hand and all the windows in the hall smashed. He curled his hands into fists and lashed out. His feet slid across the wet floor. Students piled into the hallway but stopped at the sight of the teacher on the ground.

"What the-" somebody began.

"Let me through I'm a prefect. I said let me _through_!" It was Percy. He battled his way to the front of the crowd as the staff entered the hallway. Somebody had apparently called Madame Pomfrey because she raced forward.

"Emryan?" she called him by name.

"Emryan can you hear me?" she asked. Dumbledore swept into the hall and bent down by Merlin's side.

"Who did this to you my friend?" Albus whispered. Merlin opened his unseeing golden eyes for a moment before he closed them again.

"Get him to the hospital wing," Albus said. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick both rushed forward, wands extended. They carried the semi-conscious Merlin to the hospital wing. Meanwhile inside Merlin's head a war raged on.

xxx

In Merlin's mind he was in Arthur's room. The prat was sitting at his desk, a cruel expression on his face.

"Evil, worthless, undeserving," he hissed in a voice that did not belong to Arthur. Suddenly it was Uther that sat before him. The room transformed into the throne room and Merlin was on his knees before the king.

"He must be burned for his crimes," Uther said as he glared down at Merlin.

"What crimes?" Merlin cried out. Arthur was suddenly by his father's side. He had a gaping wound in his stomach.

"YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME!" he screamed at Merlin. Excalibur was suddenly in his hands and he swung the sword but before it hit him Merlin fell. He looked up to see Kilgharrah staring down at him. He was in the pit beneath the castle and Kilgharrah was chained to the rock.

"I was wrong about you, young warlock," the dragon sneered. He reached forward to snap at him but the chain held him back. No, Merlin saw himself remove the chain before his lookalike gave him a cruel smile. The dragon's jaw was closing around him but suddenly Merlin was in Gwen's house. She was dressed in her servant clothes and she sat at the small table. She had Morgana's eyes.

"You let my husband die," she whispered. She was suddenly on his feet.

"YOU SWORE YOU WOULD PROTECT HIM YOU COWARD!"

Gwen transformed into Morgana and Merlin was in a small cottage with his arms chained above his head. Morgana sat down in a chair that became a throne. She had a crown on her head and Arthur was lying dead before her. Hands were gripping him as he was tied to a stake in Camelot's centre. There was a wooden bed at his feet and Gwaine was smiling at him. He gave a nod and Lancelot brought out a torch.

"I am glad that you will finally be punished for your crimes," he said. He changed into his shade form and the demonic skull looked up at him. He handed the torch to Freya.

She looked at him. Her eyes belonged to the Lamia. "I never loved you," she said before throwing the fiery torch onto the wooden pile.

xxx

Albus stared at Merlin as he writhed in pain.

"I TRIED TO SAVE YOU ARTHUR!" he said in a hoarse whisper as tears rolled down his face. Madame Pomfrey patted his forehead with a wet towel.

"I can't understand it. The sleeping draught I gave him should have worked. Maybe whatever magic made him this way is more powerful because of the time of year," she said as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation.

"No," he muttered and strained. "No please don't. I didn't mean to. I couldn't save him!" Merlin said.

"Please I couldn't save any of them! I tried!" he said more firmly. Madame Pomfrey tried to sooth him but he was visibly struggling.

"KILGHARRAH NO!" he finally screamed. Merlin collapsed into the bed and began muttering, softly at first but by the end of it he was screaming,

_"O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo,"_ he called. Madam Pomfrey stared at him in confusion. Merlin jerked stiffly and raised his head slightly. When he opened his unseeing eyes they were golden. They flashed as he raised a hand and blasted a hole in the wall. Aithusa swept in and stayed by his side. She squawked as she moved to defend him. Madam Pomfrey screamed but Dumbledore remained calm.

"Madam Pomfrey please wait outside for a moment," Dumbledore commanded. She was clearly in shock but she did as he asked. Dumbledore waited until she was gone before turning his attention to the dragon.

**I hope you understood this chapter. If you didn't I've explained it here.  
>Magic is generally stronger on Halloween and since Merlin IS magic he's WAAAY more powerful (I explained this a bit in a previous chapter). So when he looked into the Basilisk's eyes he should have died but Merlin is immortal. His magic naturally wants to protect him but he knows that if he lets his magic go (particularly because it's stronger) he could destroy half the school and everyone in it. So Merlin has to try and keep all this power inside of him. That's what happened in the hall. After THAT worked out he had a different problem on his hands. The Basilisk's magic was killing him and he needed his magic to heal him but at the same time he's trying to hold it in. This basically resulted in the nightmare world which held all of his worst fears. So since he felt like he was in danger he kind of instinctually called on Aithusa but he realized she couldn't get to him hence the hole in the hospital wing. I think that about covers it, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll have the next one out soon!<strong>


	11. B2 ch 4

**Here's the next chapter, sorry the last one was kind of dark. Actually THIS chapter is quite dark too but I'll try and make the next one a bit more cheerful…Also to the person who liked the mentions of Freya...Lets just say you see the lady of the lake quite a bit in this chapter.  
><strong>

Aithusa heard Merlin's cry and she couldn't ignore it. He'd left her in the dark forest since he said he was going to leave the feast early to set up the prank. Flying was awkward with her injuries and she couldn't cross long distances like other members of her kind. She could, however, fly to the hospital wing. She sent out a distress call when she saw no way in. A hole appeared in the side of the castle and she swooped in. She knew something was wrong with Merlin. She could feel the dark magic in his system. She silently cursed when she realized the problem. His magic was unpredictable around this time of year. He needed to let it loose so his magic could vanquish the foreign matter but if he _did_ let loose with that much power in his system...

Aithusa crouched by his bed. She was prepared to defend him. After the older man sent the woman out of the room he turned to her.

"Aithusa, I know you can understand me. I am Albus Dumbledore and we are trying to help Merlin," he explained quickly. She glanced at her dragonlord and nudged his hand with her hand.

She braced herself before diving into his mind but nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught within. She saw people that Merlin had shown her with telepathy. She saw Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan, Lancelot and Gwen. She saw Balinor and Hunith and Gaius. She watched Morgana turn from the innocent seer so scared of her own power to the witch driven mad with hatred. She watched Mordred grow from the small scared Druid boy to the brave and noble knight to a man almost unrecognizable stabbing Arthur through the stomach. Then she watched in horror, Arthur was lying on the ground and telling Merlin to leave.

Aithusa walked through the madness and at the centre of it all she saw a girl locked in a cage. Aithusa watched Merlin open the door but she wouldn't go. She had transformed into a winged, catlike creature. Aithusa watched the scene change to a thin passage. The girl had wounds from the sword that had struck her, Arthur's sword. They were at a lake and the girl was smiling.

"You remembered," she whispered to him. Aithusa felt a pain like no other cling to her heart and she realized that the pain belonged to Merlin.

The girl was in a beautiful dress.

_"Wæcce on sæbát bælfýr mæst,"_ Merlin said and the boat burst into flames.

_Merlin wake up,_ Aithusa whispered to him.

"_Hoppaþ nu swilce swá lieg fleogan,"_ he whispered. There were three candles before him and the flames slowly rose into the air. Merlin smiled at the magic.

"Beautiful," she said.

_"Magic doesn't have to be a curse,"_ Merlin's voice echoed.

_Merlin you have to wake up now. I know you miss them but we need you,_ Aithusa said.

Merlin didn't reply. Aithusa watched him as a child, he was playing with Will. They were in the forest and he was using magic. Will's dead body flashed before her eyes.

"It was me. I was the sorcerer," he said as he lay dying on the table.

_"Magic doesn't have to be a curse."_

_Merlin you have to wake up now,_ Aithusa insisted.

Balinor placed a small wooden dragon in his hands. Aithusa recognised it from the vault.

"Goodnight son," he said. Suddenly he was dying in Merlin's arms.

_"Magic doesn't have to be a curse."_

_Merlin you have to come back to us. I know it's hard. You've lost so much but you have to come back,_ Aithusa told him.

Merlin was lying in a ditch. His eyes briefly switched from blue to a faded gold but he coughed and froth fell from his mouth. Magic was failing him, he felt so alone.

Elyan dead, Percival dead, Leon dead, Lancelot dead, Gwaine dead, Gwen dead, Gaius dead, Freya dead, Kilgharrah dead, Arthur…

"Leave me," he said. His voice was cold. Merlin was feeding the horses.

"I need a physician not a sorcerer," Arthur insisted.

"I thought I knew you."

_"Magic doesn't have to be a curse."_

**This is a shorter chapter but I hope you all enjoy it regardless. **


	12. B2 ch 5

**Hello everybody, I got great feedback from the last few chapters! I thought I'd mention that I encourage PMs if anybody wants me to include something in the story or give me advice or whatever. Seriously, I have way too much free time on my hands since I'm currently sick :( and spend most of my time writing and hunting for good Merlin crossover fics.**

_Arthur will return someday but right now you have to get a grip. Merlin are you listening to me?_ Aithusa begged.

_The real enemy is magic,_ Merlin replied in Arthur's voice. He wasn't conscious enough to think clearly.

An idea formed in Aithusa's head. It was cruel but it might just work.

_Arthur Pendragon is in danger._

_WHAT?!_

Merlin was awake. Aithusa withdrew from his head to find a very confused Merlin staring back at her. He looked exhausted and collapsed onto his pillow almost immediately but he was awake.

_Good to have you back Merlin,_ Aithusa said.

"Aithusa, why is there a hole in the wall?" Merlin asked.

_Hey don't look at me. That was all you._

Merlin paled, "What did I do?"

_You scared the hell out of Madame Pomfrey._ Aithusa relived the events for Merlin although she didn't know how the story started out.

"But…full mind melds can last hours. How long have I been out?"

_I don't know._

Merlin clutched his head.

_That was seriously powerful dark magic I sensed in your system. Since you had to hold back your magic it has more or less infected you. If you weren't immortal you would be dead several times over. You need to rest._

Merlin raised his head. He had dark shadows under his eyes.

"There's something I need to do first. I know that everything will probably be fine but I can't rest until know this is safe," Merlin said and he pulled at the chain around his neck. He took it off and removed the ring. He looked at the Camelot crest as he thought.

"I'm so weak…The old enchantments around Camelot and the Vault are fine but _this_. The ring can be passed on through my own free will. My magic is constantly powering that enchantment but I need to focus all my efforts on healing. I can't guarantee its safety in my weak state. I trust Dumbledore but…I want the Potter boy to have it. I think he can keep it safe and if something happens to me…" Merlin trailed off.

_Nothing will happen…You'll be fine,_ Aithusa insisted but even she didn't sound so sure.

"If something _does_ happen to me and I miss his reincarnation…Make sure you tell the prat that I spent the best part of a hundred years fixing that castle. Oh and tell him that the Gringotts vault will open at his touch. Ungrateful clotpole won't realize the danger I put myself in when I was polishing Excalibur," Merlin muttered. He gave a good hearted chuckle but he seemed so weak that it just worried Aithusa even more.

_Why don't you tell him yourself?_ Aithusa said as she awkwardly climbed onto the bed and curled into a ball at his feet.

"Aithusa," he began aloud but his voice betrayed him when it cracked.

_Yes?_ She asked.

_If they __all__ come back as reincarnations…Tell Freya I loved her._

Aithusa felt the pain in his silent voice.

_I promise._

xxx

Merlin scribbled the note on a bit of parchment and folded it up before he placed it in an envelope with the ring and sealed it. He'd have to thank Dumbledore for the supplies later. He wrote _Harry Potter_ in shaky writing on the front before releasing his hold on the magic. He felt he power return to him and he felt a tiny bit stronger. With that little bit of extra strength he turned Aithusa into a dove and prayed that the spell would hold long enough. She gripped the envelope in her beak and almost dropped it. Cursing Merlin cast a featherweight charm and almost passed out from the effort.

"Hurry," he croaked. Aithusa took off through the window. Earlier in the day Merlin had announced that since Madam Pomfrey was terrified of him he'd prefer to go back to his chambers and recover there. So Merlin sat in his own bed as he waited anxiously for Aithusa to return.

xxx

Harry Potter was in the common room working on his homework when he heard the pecking at the window. Several heads turned to see the dove outside of the window. Somebody opened the window and the dove flew inside and dropped an envelope on Harry's lap before flying back out. Harry frowned and went into the dormitories for a bit of privacy. He sat down on his bed and drew the curtains. Harry opened the envelope and a ring fell out. Harry's brow furrowed as he pulled out the letter and began to read.

_Dear, Harry Potter._

_I am trusting you with this ring because I am too weak to protect it. When I am strong enough I will reclaim it. Guard it as best you can because it is my most prized possession. I trust you will take good care of it,_

_Sincerely,_

_Emryan Myles_

xxx

Hermione held the ring up to the light as she examined it. When she was satisfied she handed it back to Harry.

"That's the seal of Camelot," Hermione said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Back then a royal seal was a show of authorization. For instance, if somebody received a letter from thing king they'd know it was legitimate. That ring is the royal seal of Camelot. Now where on e_arth_ did you get it?" she asked.

"Professor Myles's bird showed up at the window with an envelope. Inside was a letter and that ring," Harry explained.

"Can I see the letter?" Hermione asked. Harry disappeared up the stairs and returned a moment later with the letter in his hand. Hermione read it several times before looking up.

"I don't know how he got it but it makes sense. That seal is _incredibly_ valuable. I guess he's still sick so he wants to make sure somebody will look after it for him until he gets better. He must trust you a great deal if he's giving it to you."

"Yeah," Harry said as he took it back. "I guess he must."

xxx

Merlin slowly began to recover. It took several weeks but Hagrid had happily taken over the classes for him. Aithusa had stayed by his side and Merlin enjoyed the company. When he felt a bit better he told her old stories of Kilgharrah and the knights of Camelot. She remembered his pain only too well but didn't mention it. She knew he loved telling stories of Camelot. He particularly liked to tell the story of how he had recovered her egg. Aithusa liked it too, not just because it was her origin story but because nobody died (except the man who had tried to steal her and he didn't really count). Aithusa knew that Merlin had relived painful memories for her. He said that he wanted to know that somebody else would remember them too. She particularly liked one that Merlin called: Gwaine's Great Quest for Apples. Gwaine had been extremely drunk one night and Merlin and Percival had played a prank on him. Merlin told the story whenever he particularly missed the rebellious knight.

Merlin received updates from Dumbledore regularly. Merlin was almost ready to go back to teaching when he received word that a student had been petrified. Written on the wall above the body was a message written in blood.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware._

Merlin remembered the legends well. Salazar had been a secretive man and Merlin always suspected that he had a hidden lair somewhere in the castle. After he left the rumours of the chamber began to circulate. That was all the motivation Merlin needed. He pulled himself together and that night attended dinner in the Great Hall. He was pale and fragile looking but many of the students were just happy to see him. When Merlin saw Harry in the crowd he was reminded of the ring and decided that since his magic had returned he would reclaim it. So after the feast was over Merlin pulled Harry away from the crowd.

"Do you have the ring?" he asked. Harry pulled it from his robes and handed it back to Merlin.

"That's the seal of Camelot isn't it?" Harry asked as Merlin began to loop the ring through the chain.

"Yes, thank you for keeping it safe," he said before pulling the chain over his head.

"But however did you get it?" Harry asked.

Merlin hesitated, "I once had a friend who had this in his possession when she died. She wanted me to keep it safe for her. I don't know how she got it." The answer seemed enough for Harry.

"You should probably return to your dormitories before curfew," Merlin said but Harry hesitated.

"Sir I was there before any of the other students and I saw…I know everybody else is convinced that the monster broke the windows and cracked the floor but I saw…" he trailed off again. Merlin silently uttered every curse word he knew.

"Did you know that, despite popular belief, the druids still exist and practise old magic in secret?" Harry clearly didn't know what a druid was but he shook his head.

"Well I am a descendant of the druids which means that I have some old magic in my blood. Halloween effects old magic more than it does new. What you saw was my old magic at its peak. Now I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this. The druids are a peaceful race and the magic they practise…Let's just say I doubt the ministry would leave them alone," Merlin said thinking quickly.

When he was back in his room with Aithusa by his side Merlin got to work. He spent hours throwing enchantment after enchantment at the small object. When he was done magic was once again riddled into the ring. It was safe once again.

Meanwhile Harry Potter sat awake in bed with a book on ancient cultures he'd borrowed from Hermione.

xxx

When Merlin returned to class for the first time he was greeted by relieved students.

"He made us look after these creatures called Blast Ended Skrewts!"

"They were horrible, they didn't eat or sleep or do anything!"

"One exploded in my face!"

"Mine tried to sting me!"

"Pfft, mine tried to drink my blood with those horrible suckers!"

Most of the students were just happy that he was alright but a few felt guilty that he'd been attacked preparing the prank for them. Merlin insisted that he was fine and was as optimistic as possible in class. Soon he was back to normal and not a moment too soon. Merlin discovered that Lockhart, had set up a duelling club. Merlin knew that if the idiot was involved things could only end badly.

xxx

Merlin stood at the back of the class while Aithusa perched on his shoulder.

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape," said Lockhart. Professor Snape joined him on the stage, his expression seemed almost disapproving. Merlin smiled when the idiot flew backwards.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to teach them to block unfriendly spells," Snape said. "I suggest we get a volunteer pair."

"An excellent idea, Professor Snape. Potter, Weasley, could you come up here please?" Lockhart suggested. Snape sneered,

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a match box. Might I suggest somebody from my own house, Draco perhaps?"

Merlin stiffened as he watched the pair climb onto the stage. They held their wands out as Lockhart counted.

"One, Two-" he began.

Malfoy was already shouting his spell and it hit Harry before Lockhart could finish counting. Merlin bristled, only a coward acted before the final count. Harry recovered quickly and shouted,

_"Rictusempra!"_ Malfoy did a funny little twirl in the air. He looked murderous when he recovered.

_"Serpensortia,"_ Malfoy shouted. A black snake shot from the tip of Malfoy's wand.

"Don't worry Potter, I'll get rid of it for you," Snape said lazily.

"Allow me Professor Snape," Lockhart said and brandished his wand. But he didn't get rid of the snake. It flew several feet into the air and landed with a hiss. It raised its head and bared its fangs at the students nearby. Harry Potter walked towards it calmly as he spoke with an ancient and vaguely familiar tongue.

_He's a parselmouth,_ Aithusa said.

_So it would seem,_ Merlin replied as Harry's friends dragged him out of the hall.


	13. B2 ch 6

**I know this is the third chapter I've uploaded today but I really want to move forward. Well, that and I'm eager to see what you guys think of the ending I just wrote up! Some of you may not particularly like this chapter since not much happens in it but some important stuff does happen. Please leave a review so I know you guys don't hate me too much.**

Merlin was concerned about Harry. His little incident with the snake had led everybody to believe that he was the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Merlin had a lesson with the class a few days and in an attempt to cheer them up he had gone to a lot of effort to track down a Wyvern. Under normal circumstances this would have been an incredibly dangerous thing to do but since Merlin was a dragonlord there was no real danger. At least, that's what Merlin thought.

Wyverns had never been particularly good with communication, even with their dragonlords. They understood and accepted commands, they even occasionally replied but they often spoke in riddles and dismissed things of importance. For instance, this one had an injured tail so when a student accidentally tripped over it the Wyvern was _not_ happy.

The students screamed as it reared and bared its fangs. Merlin hoped the Wyvern would regain control but when it turned on a student Merlin was forced to take matters into his own hands.

_"Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai,"_ he roared and the dragon bowed before him. The students were completely shocked but Merlin remained calm as he helped the fallen student to his feet.

"Class is ending early today. Please gather your books and head back to the castle," Merlin said before turning on the Wyvern. He scolded it for threatening the students but sighed and rubbed its head reassuringly.

"Professor?" somebody behind him asked. Merlin turned to see Harry Potter staring at the Wyvern.

"What is it Potter?" he asked.

"Are you like me? Not a parselmouth but…Something like that?" he sounded hopeful.

Merlin paused, "I guess you could say my abilities are somewhat similar although I can't communicate with serpents. I doubt you've ever heard of a dragonlord." Harry shook his head.

"They don't even teach you about dragonlords in school anymore. Like parselmouths, dragonlords are…gifted wizards who can communicate and control a certain animal. You control snakes, I control dragons and all of the relatives such as Wyverns," Merlin explained.

"This particular detail will no doubt spread throughout the school as it did with you. Fortunately dragonlords don't have much of a reputation because there are practically none left." Merlin sighed and sat down next to the Wyvern.

"You didn't want people to know," Harry guessed.

"I don't like drawing attention to myself Mr Potter," Merlin replied. It suddenly occurred to him how similar they really were.

"I assume you've been researching the druids since we last spoke," Merlin feared the answer.

Harry hesitated, "Yes."

"And?"

"From what I can tell they were – are – a peaceful community that prefer to surround themselves with nature. They were practised with healing spells and communication. They could communicate telepathically with other humans and animals and took in people in need."

_You've done your research, Potter,_ Merlin said. Harry jumped backwards when he heard the teacher's voice echo through his head. Merlin gave a forced smile before he began massaging his eyelids in a feeble attempt to relieve the headache that was threatening to take hold.

"I never wanted anybody to discover any of this but…It's nice knowing someone accepts you. Thank you for keeping this quiet Mr Potter."

xxx

Merlin felt like a weight had been lifted. While the he hadn't been completely honest with the boy he had technically not spoken a lie. After Camelot fell and he went out in search of peace.

For many years he lived with the druids. They offered food and shelter while he offered them protection. A second purge was threatening to completely demolish magic but Merlin kept the druid camp safe for almost a hundred years. The individuals died but the magic lived on and for the longest time it was Merlin's home, until the plague struck. The few that survived were under Merlin's protection but they couldn't stay in the camp. They travelled and studied but they still lived in fear. When the last druid of the camp died of old age Merlin was alone once more with only a dragon by his side. So they returned to Camelot where he slowly rebuilt the city.

For the longest time he'd been a teacher and a guide. He'd watched over the druids who worshipped him as a god. In his mind he was one of them.

Merlin brushed away the tears that threatened to spill over and focused on feeling happy. One less person he had to hide from and fear. Merlin smiled and his good mood continued until he reached the Great Hall. Then he remembered the events of the previous day. They knew he could speak with the dragons.

A great hush fell over the hall as Merlin took a seat at the teacher's table. A few members of staff stared at him curiously but they didn't say anything. Merlin ate quickly and dreaded his next class.

xxx

"Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to let me borrow Fawkes here so you could see a live Phoenix. Now these beautiful creatures are incredibly loyal companions and are-"

"Yes?" Merlin asked when he saw one of his first year students had her hand raised.

"Is it true you can speak Wyvern sir?" she squeaked. Merlin noticed that every student was listening intently for his answer.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Now, I do believe we were examining Fawkes here. Their tears have the ability to…" Merlin almost sighed, "Yes?"

A young first year boy piped up this time, "My brother told me that you saved one of the second years from a huge, terrifying Wyvern yesterday. Is that true sir?"

Merlin looked irritated, "Are any of you actually _listening_ to this? Do you know how rare it is to see a Phoenix? Now, as I was saying. Phoenix tears have the ability to-"

"But sir my dad works in the ministry of magic and he said that there used to be people called dragonlords who could speak to and even control dragons! Are _you_ a dragonlord sir?" a first year girl asked.

"Can we _please_ get back to the lesson?" Merlin asked desperately. But as it turned out the first years were just the beginning.

xxx

The attacks at the school had halted but the attacks on Merlin were stronger than ever. His first and second year students would try to trip him up by suddenly springing questions on him. The Weasley twins were pestering him to summon a dragon so they could ride it. Harry Potter had clearly told his friends Hermione and Ron because Ron stared at him in awe and Hermione stared in fear. Harry was quiet but not fearful. He was one of the few that understood.

Merlin sighed as he noticed many of his students staring at him from across the room. Merlin was looking pointedly at his food when he heard a familiar voice ask,

"Can you really talk to dragons?"

Merlin looked up in surprise when he realized that it was Hagrid asking the question. Several other people in the vicinity paused to hear his answer and Merlin saw Dumbledore smile at him. Albus found the entire thing rather amusing.

_Oh go on. I know you want to tell him!_ Aithusa urged.

_You're just hoping that you won't have to hide as a stupid dove anymore,_ Merlin hissed back angrily as he stood up and left his breakfast untouched.

xxx

Merlin was pleased when most of the second year students picked Care of Magical Creatures but he suspected half of them only chose it because the alternative was Muggle Studies. The classes went well and people were slowly giving up on asking questions about his dragonlord status. Everything was looking up, people were talking to Harry Potter again and the attacks had stopped completely. The Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was approaching and the school was buzzing with anticipation. Then the Granger girl was petrified and everything went wrong.

Students were escorted to and from classes and even the ghosts seemed worried since the attack on Nearly Headless Nick. Merlin was beginning to worry about how Harry and Ron would react. Surely the two would want to act. Merlin was pondering the subject when he heard Aithusa say,

_Isn't that Potter?_

Merlin frowned and joined Aithusa at the window. At first he saw nothing but when he strained his eyes he could see straight through the magical veil hiding the two students.

"Where on earth did Potter get an invisibility cloak?" Merlin muttered as he pulled his own black cloak around his shoulders and fumbled with the fastening.

"Aithusa are you up for a late night stroll?"

xxx

Merlin muttered a spell that would make him go unnoticed as he walked towards the cabin with a dove on his shoulder. When he reached the small house he peered through the window to see Ron and Harry at Hagrid's table. Merlin watched as the Minister for Magic and Albus Dumbledore knocked on the door. Harry and Ron threw on the cloak and the Minister knocked on the door.

When Hagrid opened the door Merlin slipped in after them. The spell would stay intact so long as Merlin didn't do anything obvious like throw a potted plant at the Minister's head or something like that. He stood in the corner of the tiny hut and prayed nobody would approach him. Harry and Ron were dangerously close to the three adults but it didn't look like anybody would bump into them.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

Hagrid was looking very pale as he collapsed into a chair.

"Bad business, Hagrid, very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act," Cornelius Fudge said with a sigh.

"I never," his gaze settled on Dumbledore, "you know I never, Dumbledore, sir…"

"I want it understood that Hagrid has my full confidence," Albus said as he frowned at Fudge.

Merlin never did like the Minister for Magic but this proved his suspicions. Reputation meant more to the man than anything else. Merlin watched as Cornelius explained that he had to do something. Then Lucius Malfoy arrived in a black travelling cloak not unlike Merlin's.

Merlin listened as he explained that Dumbledore had been suspended.

_I'm here,_ Merlin said telepathically. Dumbledore for his part did not jump. He showed no sign of surprise when he heard Merlin's voice echo throughout his head.

_This is crazy, they can't do this. I have seen many headmasters at that school and you…I daresay Hilda would have liked you. You even remind me of Godric a bit except he was a bit more…Shall we say adventurous?_ Although it didn't show Merlin could feel that Dumbledore was touched.

"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside. However, you will find that I will only _truly_ have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

_Protect Harry for me while I'm gone,_ he said.

Merlin waited silently until the door banged shut. Harry and Ron threw off the cloak.

"We're in trouble now. With Dumbledore gone there'll be an attack a day!" Ron said but Harry was focusing on the small stream of spiders that were filing out of the window.


	14. B2 ch 7

**So you'll notice that the car doesn't come to the rescue and before you question it THERE IS A REASON! So in the book the car appears because Harry and Ron are in danger, well in this one somebody else saves them and because they're no longer in danger the car does not need to rescue them. I hope this is a good enough reason for you all!**

**Also I have uploaded this early because all of you left so many lovely reviews! That and I fear you'll hate book 3 (yes I've already written it) since it's a LOT shorter and pretty terrible. Oh well, book four will be better! I promise.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: Somebody reminded me to add these so here it is; I'm not the BBC, J.K. Rowling or anybody else who owns the rights to Merlin and HP. Please don't sue me**

Merlin cursed as he stumbled to keep up with Ron and Harry. He almost lost them when they disappeared into the hollow but he managed to keep up. Merlin shivered as he looked up at the spiders. They were better than snakes but not by much.

Merlin jumped out of his skin when he saw the spider the size of a small elephant emerge from the gloom. It was quite an interesting creature though thoroughly unpleasant, particularly when it doomed Harry and Ron to death.

"WAIT!" Merlin yelled before the creature could disappear. The spider seemed intrigued.

"I sense ancient magic in your blood old one. What is it you seek so far from home?" The creature reminded Merlin of Kilgharrah.

"I ask you to show mercy and release the students willingly," Merlin said quickly. The spider hesitated.

"We will spare them but do not forget this kindness," the spider said grudgingly. Merlin lowered his head but kept his eyes on Aragog.

"Ron, Harry, follow me," Merlin muttered as the spiders cleared a path for them. Once they were out of the hollow he turned on the two students.

"What the hell were you thinking? You walked into the lair of an Acromantula! If I hadn't been there…" Merlin shook his head.

"With all due respect sir, how _did_ you get us out of there?" Ron asked shakily.

Merlin hesitated, "Harry told you about my druid heritage I assume." Ron nodded and Merlin sighed.

"The Acromantula is a creature of the old religion. It could sense my old magic and _fortunately_ the creature has a sense of loyalty. It did us a great kindness back there but I hope you realize the situation you've put me in," Merlin muttered.

"Sir?"

"Acromantulas are clever and patient creatures and it has taken advantage of the situation. I now owe it a favour," Merlin explained. Ron's eyes widened when he realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh well. I better take you two back up to the school. I expect that your heads are brimming with theories after that…enlightening discussion."

xxx

After Dumbledore left the teachers and students alike were more terrified. Merlin was only faintly surprised when he heard several students discussing why his attack had been different from the others.

"Maybe because it was Halloween his magic was strong enough to, y'know, fight it off!" one student suggested.

"Nah, I bet it's because he's a dragonlord," said a fourth year boy.

"Or maybe it's because he's a teacher, not a student. The spell or curse or whatever could react differently between kids and adults!"

"Nah, my brother was in the class. He said it was terrifying. The man just _roared_ at this massive Wyvern. I've never heard of anything like it. He's probably a seriously powerful wizard," the fourth year insisted.

A girl snorted, "He's what, twenty five? How powerful can he be?"

One of the boys lowered his voice, "I overheard some of the teachers talking. Apparently he's an old friend of Dumbledore. I bet he taught Professor Myles a few tricks."

Merlin cleared his throat and the group immediately sprang apart.

"P-Professor Myles, sir! H-how are you?" the fourth year boy asked. Merlin raised an eyebrow and walked past them. Aithusa was clearly amused by the whole situation. Well, they were amused until they heard McGonagall's magically magnified voice echo through the castle.

_"All students return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately please."_

Merlin frowned but sprinted to the staff room. When he arrived he found the teachers close to tears.

"There has been another message,  
><em>Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber for ever<em>  
>Our worst fears have been realized! A student has been taken by the monster <em>into<em> the chamber itself!" McGonagall said tearfully. Professor Sprout sunk into a chair.

"Which student?" she asked weakly

"Ginny Weasley," the Professor replied.

"Emryan," Professor Flitwick began between sobs. "You were attacked…Do you remember anything that could help us?"

Merlin hesitated, "I want to help. I really do but all I remember is…" Merlin closed his eyes as he struggled to remember.

_The cat froze up and Merlin frowned as he turned around to see…_

"The thing had yellow eyes," he said suddenly. It was beginning to become clearer. "It was tall and long but…It didn't attack me. It just stared. One look and I was on the ground and…" Merlin shuddered as he remembered the visions that had assaulted him. Madame Pomfrey looked a little faint as she remembered having Merlin as a patient.

Professor McGonagall absently patted his arm. The door burst open and Lockhart walked into the room.

"Sorry, dosed off. What did I miss?" he asked happily.

"Lockhart, your moment has come at last," Professor Snape said coldly as he began to explain everything the man had missed.

xxx

Merlin didn't trust Lockhart to deal with the monster himself. Merlin was about to open the door when he heard voices from within.

"Awfully sorry, boys, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book…"

Merlin burst into the office, holding his fake wand in the air. His eyes briefly changed colour before Lockhart flew backwards and smacked his head against the wall.

"Bloody hell!" shouted Ron as he looked at Merlin in awe.

"Is he still alive?" Harry asked.

Merlin shrugged, "He'll be fine. What are you two doing in here anyway?"

"We think we know where the Chamber of Secrets is and we think the creature inside is a Basilisk," Harry said quickly.

"But why is nobody dead?" Merlin asked as confusion spread across his face.

"Well...If you think about it everybody saw it indirectly," Harry said awkwardly. Merlin thought back to his attack.

_The cat looked down at the ground before freezing up. Merlin's feet splashed as he turned around to see a pair of great big yellow eyes._

"It makes sense," Merlin admitted. "So, you say you know where this Chamber is?"


	15. B2 ch 8

**Alright, final chapter! I'll have Book 3 ch 1 up soon!**

Merlin looked down at the gaping pit before turning back to Harry and Ron.

"I'm going to head down there and find Miss Weasley. You two just try and stay out of trouble!" he said before jumping into the pit. When he reached the bottom he briefly wished Aithusa was with him but he needed her on the surface.

_So, are you already dead?_ Aithusa asked.

_Nope, still breathing._

_Pity._

Merlin smiled.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he heard someone shout. Frowning, Merlin looked up just in time to see Ron collapse on top of him.

"Ouch, Ron what the hell are you doing down here?" Merlin asked rubbing his head. Then Harry fell on them. They all scrambled to their feet.

"We're not leaving you to do this alone Professor. Besides, I'm the only one who's a parselmouth remember?"

Merlin sighed but knew that Harry had a point.

"Fine just try not to get yourselves killed," he muttered.

They walked forward while Merlin sent the occasional update to Aithusa. They passed a huge snakeskin that obliterated any doubt that may have lingered. Once they passed that they reached a door. Harry cleared his throat nervously before letting out a strange hiss. The door opened and the strange trio entered the chamber.

xxx

Harry and Ron both threw themselves on the ground next to Ginny.

"She's so cold," Ron said weakly.

"Ginny, Ginny can you hear me?" Harry asked.

"She won't wake," a soft voice called. Merlin spun around and pointed the useless stick at the stranger.

"Tom – _Tom Riddle?_" Harry asked. Merlin paled.

"Harry, Ron, take Ginny and get out of here," Merlin said.

"What? Why?" Harry asked.

"Because Tom Riddle was the name Voldemort used when he was at school," Merlin answered quietly.

The man turned and smiled, "Somebody isn't an idiot. Oh and you can put down the wand. It won't harm me."

Merlin would have happily put away the pointless stick but he kept it out for dramatic effect.

"You're not a ghost but…You're not human either. You're a fragment, an echo, a memory. Something tells me you're not happy with that arrangement," Merlin said. He could feel the magic pouring off of the figure.

"Correct again, I'm a memory preserved in a diary for fifty years. I've been waiting a long time for this and look! My mission is almost complete! All because a silly little girl who poured her heart and soul into a diary," Tom laughed.

"You mean…It was Ginny?" Ron asked horrified.

"Oh yes…Not that she knew what she was doing of course. I've always been _very_ persuasive. It wasn't even that _hard_ getting that lousy oaf of a headmaster out of the school. They even had an old _friend_ to blame the attacks on!"

Harry got to his feet furiously, "Dumbledore will never be gone! Not as long as the students here are still loyal to him!"

There was a moment of silence before a beautiful crimson bird the size of a swan soared through the air. It dropped the sorting hat at Harry's feet.

"So this is what the mudblood defender has been armed with, songbird and an old hat. Well I think you'll find that I have something a _bit_ more effective," Tom said before he turned and let out a stream of hisses.

The mouth of a great statue began to open.

"Harry, Ron close your eyes! Don't look at it!" Merlin shouted. They both looked away. The basilisk was crawling out of the statues mouth and blinked. Tom Riddle said something else in that strange hissing language. The basilisk bared its fangs as it prepared to strike.

Merlin threw himself forward blindly and reached out with his telepathy.

_WAIT! Great serpent king I ask you to look at me. Do you recognise me? I was the first victim but I lived because of the old magic coursing through my veins. Oh but I've seen so much, I knew your master so very long ago. Salazar Slytherin who's face is immortalised in the statue behind you. I knew the great serpent speaker. He never told me about you all those years ago but I helped him build this chamber. I never knew where the entrance would emerge but I helped carve this chamber. Salazar always did have a silver tongue although I would expect no less from a parselmouth.  
>This man whose orders you are obeying also has a silver tongue but he uses it for a different end. The great Salazar wanted the school to consist of students from all magic families, that's true. But even he would have never condoned such behaviour. Despite contrary belief he was a good man but like so many others he was misled. He could not break free of family expectations. The boy who commands you is nothing like the noble Salazar. As a creature of the old religion I ask for you to remember the great man who once lived and ask yourself, would he command you to kill this young wizard?<em>

The snake considered this.

_My massster would not have asssked for thisss. You once knew him and you ssspeak mossst highly of him, for that you four ssshall live. The boy isss sssussstained by the book, you have lived a cursssed life, Emrysss,_ the snake said before it disappeared into the statue.

Merlin opened his eyes to see Riddle looking dumbstruck.

"It's alright now," Merlin said. Harry opened his eyes a crack and looked around in confusion.

"Where'd it go?" he asked.

"Back to sleep I expect," Merlin replied as he picked up the book. The dark magic hit him immediately. There were more than just memories in the book. Merlin ran his finger down the spine and called the dark magic to the surface.

Riddle frowned, "How are you doing that?"

Merlin ignored him and ripped the broken, unrecognizable entity from the book. Riddle screamed as Merlin crushed it in his hand. Tom Riddle seemingly imploded and his screams echoed around the room. Ginny suddenly gasped and looked around.

"I- Harry is that a _sword_?" she asked. Merlin looked at Harry to see that he was holding Godric's sword his hand. Merlin smiled when he realized that Harry Potter had pulled it from the hat. He truly was a worthy Gryffindor.

xxx

Merlin watched silently as Harry and Ron recounted their experiences in the chamber.

"Then, I could have sworn we were all done for," Ron exclaimed. "But there was just silence and then Professor Myles said everything was fine! So I opened my eyes and he was stroking the spine of that diary and, well, Riddle just _imploded_," Ron finished. Dumbledore glanced at Merlin who just shrugged.

"I think I should go and check up on the students. The mandrake draught should be ready," Merlin said before hurrying out of the room.

xxx

The end of year feast was especially grand and Gryffindor won the house cup with the extra points won by Harry and Ron for their show of bravery. The rest of the school year passed quickly and peacefully. Merlin was glad when it was all over. Although, all things considered things at Hogwarts were easier than they had been in Camelot. He got days off at Hogwarts and he had spare time. Besides, one life threatening event a year was _definitely_ an improvement because for a while there it seemed like there was a life threatening event once a w_eek_. Merlin was lying in bed enjoying his lie in with Aithusa happily resting her head on his stomach. He knew the students would be boarding the train soon. Merlin briefly wondered if he should be worried but dismissed the thought. Harry would probably have a somewhat dull summer. After all, what could _possibly_ happen?

**Alright everybody I hope you enjoyed the end of Book 2! I'll probably have the next chapter out by tomorrow. HUGE thank you to all 30 of the people who followed this story (didn't see that one coming) and all 16 people who favourite (seriously warms my heart) and all 16 people who left a review (of course this will be posted tomorrow so I wonder if any of those numbers will go up)!**


	16. B3 ch 1

**Alright, thanks for the input everybody! I would like to give a MASSIVE thank you to Hinote Snidget for all of the incredible information and advice. Right, well without further ado, I give you Book 3!**

Merlin was once again sitting in disbelief as he discovered that Harry had done a lot in the summer. He'd used underaged magic (again), run away from home, met the Minister for Magic and was staying at the Leaky Cauldron.

Merlin had known the year would be more difficult. The previous Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Kettleburn, had officially retired which meant Merlin was _officially_ a professor. He would be teaching everybody, not just the first and second years. Merlin had however held onto the hope that matters with Harry would be less…adventurous. Clearly the boy still had a knack for getting into trouble.

"Now on a different note, since the mass murderer Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban Prison the Ministry of Magic has enforced a few…precautions. Dementors will be placed outside every entrance. I was actually wondering about the state of your Patronus," Dumbledore said hesitantly.

"Well as it happens I don't actually need one. You see the dementors were created by the High Priestesses of the old religion. Actually most horrifying creatures were. Anyway the dementors will recognise the old magic and follow basic commands," Merlin replied. Fawkes flew in through the window and gave a squawk that told them the train had arrived.

xxx

Merlin hesitated before taking the seat dedicated to Care of Magical Creature's Professor. Beside him sat a rather shabby looking man.

"Hello, you must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Merlin said cheerfully. The man smiled and shook his hand. Merlin couldn't help but notice how weak the man's grip was.

"You must be the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Dumbledore told me to keep an eye out for you," the man said politely. The rest of the feast passed by quickly, Professor Flitwick congratulated him when he took the seat next to him. Other than that the feast was uneventful.

Merlin's first lesson was on nifflers. Overall it went quite well. The students seemed to like the treasure hunters.

Merlin was wandering the halls, passing time before dinner when he (quite literally) bumped into Professor Lupin. The man had been using his wand to levitate a large chest. Merlin turned a corner and walked straight into the levitating chest. It fell to the floor with a deafening thud and the lock sprang open. For a moment Merlin thought it was empty but then the lid was pushed open and King Arthur fell out of the chest.

xxx

Merlin was completely frozen in shock.

"Not to worry, it's just a boggart," Lupin said quickly but Merlin was not listening.

The king wasn't dressed in his amour but instead he was wearing a simple red shirt and black trousers. He had a grisly wound in his side but that didn't stop him from getting to his feet.

"Coward," he spat as Merlin quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Traitor," he shouted.

"No, you're dead," Merlin said. Lupin was desperately trying to explain that none of it was real.

"YOU LET ME DIE!" the fake Arthur shouted and with that Merlin sprinted down the hall.

xxx

Lupin felt terrible. The poor man had been completely unprepared for the assault. Lupin could see that his fear had a backstory. Lupin knocked on the door that led to Professor Myles' personal chambers. When he heard no reply Lupin sighed and turned around to walk back down the stairs. It was fortunate that he did not glance out of the window for if he had he might have seen the Professor running into the dark forest.

xxx

Merlin ran into the cover of the trees as tears rolled down his face. Aithusa followed as a dove.

_You need something to cheer you up,_ she said.

_I'm fine. I just need some time to myself._

_Why don't you let yourself go?_

Merlin slowed his run to a walk as he began to think about that.

_I haven't experimented with that branch of magic since we left Camelot,_ Merlin pointed out.

_Well nobody's seen me in the forest. Go on you always have great fun!_ Aithusa said. Merlin smiled and transformed her back into a dragon. She stretched out happily and stared at him expectantly.

_Go on! There's nobody around_

Merlin sighed then gave a half smile through his tears as he hunted deep within him for a different kind of power, the power that could only be harnessed by an Animagus.

xxx

Aithusa pretended not to be impressed when she saw the small, skinny warlock transform. His second form was, obviously, a dragon. She watched with detached interest as he launched himself into the air and landed on all fours. As a dragon he was roughly the size of a Wyvern but he had all the elegance and beauty of a pure bred dragon. His scales were a sort of greyish black that looked like smoke. At night he was barely visible. The Merlin-Dragon flexed his talons and stretched out. He was thinner and more snakelike than Aithusa but his head was similarly shaped. He flicked his thin tail that ended in an arrowhead shaped point.

_Impressed?_ Merlin asked playfully as he shook his head. It was difficult to adjust to his new form.

_Nope, you look you're covered in soot,_ Aithusa replied.

Merlin snorted before stretching out his bony wings. He paused thoughtfully before saying two words that, between dragons, are best left unsaid.

_Race you._

xxx

Merlin and Aithusa were careful while they ran playfully through the forest. During the day they were far too visible but as soon as night fell they knew that they were safe.

When you're an Animagus you acquire an entire new set of instincts to go with your new form. While Merlin was generally nervous, clumsy and goodhearted the dragon side was something else entirely. He was sly, cunning and something of a magpie. A glimpse of something shiny would steal his attention. Merlin was sad when the sun started to creep into view. He reluctantly landed in a clearing near the castle and shrank back into himself.

Aithusa landed beside him and he transformed her into a dove.

_Good thing you don't actually _need_ sleep,_ Aithusa yawned as she settled on his shoulder.

_I am capable of going without sleep but I do like it,_ Merlin said grudgingly but a grin quickly spread across his face. It had been a long time since he'd had that much _fun_.

***Peeks out from behind a rock***

**Is it safe? Are you guys going to kill me? Seriously I am TERRIFIED of what you'll think of this decision. Was it wrong? Do you hate it? WILL YOU LEAVE?!**

**Guess I'll find out!**


	17. B3 ch 2

**Alright if you're reading this then you're still here. That means I still have SOME people reading this. I am so scared that you'll all hate me for making Merlin an Animagus but…Well, I did what had to be done. Also I'm SO sorry because this is the last chapter (OMG HOW CAN IT BE ITS JUST THE SECOND CHAPTER GWUFGWHEBF). I seriously regret ending it so soon but not much HAPPENS in the third book. A lot of the events are either too subtle to mention or they happen only to Harry.**

Dumbledore asked Merlin to stay and protect the students in the Great Hall while the teachers did a thorough search. Albus knew that Merlin did not need sleep so Merlin reluctantly accepted the task and stood awkwardly at the back of the Great Hall while everybody lay awake, praying that the mass murderer would be caught soon.

Thankfully life went on, more or less, as it always did. Classes continued although Merlin noticed that the dementors were affecting everybody so Merlin had taken to secretly casting an ancient shielding charm before every lesson. Things got better and, although conditions were awful, Merlin knew that the anticipation was building as the Quidditch match drew closer.

xxx

Merlin watched in horror as Harry fell to the ground. He stood up but before he could act Dumbledore was slowing his descent. Merlin felt a wave of relief wash over him. He fought his way onto the pitch and walked up to the school with Dumbledore as he used his wand to carry the boy up on a stretcher.

Merlin muttered an ancient healing spell under his breath as they walked. Dumbledore noticed and shot him a significant glance but didn't say anything. Madame Pomfrey kept him in the hospital wing for a full week. Later that night Merlin personally approached the dementors and forbade them to approach the Quidditch Pitch. After that everything seemed to calm down a bit. They were finally nearing the end of the school year when Sirius Black was finally captured.

xxx

"Please, Professor Dumbledore, sir, you have to believe us!" Hermione insisted as the headmaster closed the door.

"Oh I do but I'm afraid the word of three thirteen year old wizards will convince few others," Dumbledore began.

"What we _need_, Miss Granger is more _time_. But be wary, you know the laws. Oh and if you happen to cross paths with Professor Myles tell him that I said 'Aithusa hasn't grown' and he'll know that I believe your story. He should be most willing to assist."

xxx

Merlin let out a sigh of relief. The serial killer had been captured and was being held West Tower and the school was safe once again. Harry Potter had more or less stayed out of trouble. At least, that's what Merlin thought until he saw Harry and Hermione running towards him.

"Professor we haven't got much time. Sirius Black is innocent and Dumbledore said you could help us!" Hermione said quickly. Merlin blinked at her.

"Oh he told us to tell you this, Aithusa hasn't grown. _Now_ do you believe us?" Harry added. Merlin frowned. Nobody else would know to say that…The message _must_ have come from Dumbledore and Merlin knew he wouldn't assist in freeing a serial killer if he wasn't sure.

"What do you need?" Merlin asked slowly.

"He's being held in the West Tower but we can't get him out. He'd be seen if we tried to get him out through the door…We thought about the window but for that we'd need…" Hermione trailed off. Merlin thought quickly.

_You couldn't get him out could you Aithusa?_ Merlin asked desperately.

_I can barely fly myself let alone with a rider. But that doesn't mean _you_ can't get him out,_ she replied. Merlin paled.

"I'm going to regret this," he muttered before turning back to the students. "Wait here." Merlin ran into the Dark Forest and as soon as he was out of sight he began to transform.

xxx

Harry Potter gasped as a thin, snakelike dragon crawled out of the forest. The way it moved reminded Harry of a small lizard. Its thin legs propelled its body forward quickly and gracefully. The lizard-dragon knelt down beside the teenagers.

_Get on, I can't come with you. I don't want to weigh the dragon down. It's perfectly safe though,_ Professor Myles' voice rang through Harry's head. Harry hesitantly climbed onto the dragon.

"_Harry_ what on earth are you doing?" Hermione squealed.

"It's fine. Professor Myles used the weird telepathy thing I told you about. He said it was safe," Harry replied. Hermione hesitantly climbed onto the dragon's back and with that the smoky grey dragon took off into the air.

xxx

Merlin wondered briefly is they could hold on but dismissed the thought quickly as he flew towards the West Tower. He turned and did his best to stay still while Hermione used her wand to open the window.

"How on earth?" the prisoner muttered as he glanced at the dragon but Harry interrupted.

"No time to explain, get on!" he yelled. Merlin struggled slightly under the weight of the three students and landed in a clearing near the school. Harry and Hermione got off and Harry turned to Sirius.

"You better go, they'll search the grounds when they realize you're gone," Harry said quickly as he glanced around.

"How can I ever repay you?" Black asked as a smile lit up his sunken face.

"GO!" Harry roared and the Merlin-Dragon took off with Sirius on his back.

Merlin wasn't sure how far to take the criminal so he landed in a valley not far from Hogsmeade. Sirius Black scrambled and Merlin snapped as he shrank back into his human form. Black's eyes widened,

"You're an Animagus," he said. Merlin rubbed his jaw as he eyed the man warily.

"You got a problem with that?"

Black grinned, "Not at all. I just wasn't expecting that. Why did you help me?"

Merlin thought about that for a moment, "Albus seems to think your innocent and when the Potter boy asked for my help I couldn't refuse. Oh you won't tell him about this will you? He doesn't know I'm an Animagus."

"Well I think under the circumstances I can keep that little detail a secret. You did save my soul after all."

Merlin nodded, "Try to stay alive out there. I live at Hogwarts so you can send me an owl if you need any…assistance."

Black nodded before transforming into a large black dog that seemed to grin at him. Merlin raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh and transforming back into a dragon. Merlin couldn't be sure but he could have sworn he heard the howl of a werewolf as he flew low over the Dark Forest.

**Alright so now you know why I made Merlin an Animagus. AGAIN I am SO sorry that this was SO short but there wasn't a lot I could do about it. However I daresay that the next 'book' will be a bit (lot) longer.**


	18. B4 ch 1

**Here it is! Hopefully it's better than the last one! Without further ado I give you B4 ch 1!**

**P.S. I just realized that when Dumbledore is calling out the champion names Viktor Krum is the only one without an exclamation mark. Poor Krum.**

Merlin decided that he needed a break. So far he'd battled a powerful and evil wizard twice, faced off against a Basilisk and an Acromantula and, hardest of all, he'd faced his responsibilities as a teacher. So when Merlin heard about the Quidditch World cup he decided to pull a few strings.

With his tickets in hand he packed a bag and dug out his old magically enhanced tent. With Aithusa on his shoulder he set off, planning on having a brilliant time at the magical event.

xxx

It had been many years since Merlin had visited a Quidditch World Cup. He arrived to see hundreds of tents spreading out in all different directions. He grinned and breathed deeply. He could taste the magic on the tip of his tongue. It was strangely but pleasantly metallic.

He saw the tell-tale signs of magic as he passed through the rows and struggled to hold in his laughter as he saw what the wizard's thought passed for wizard clothing. He found his spot and drew out his fake wand before using telekinesis to set it up. It didn't take long although a few people glared angrily at him. He quickly darted inside the tent and stood up. The centre room a large and round but entryways led into different rooms. There was a large bedroom and a dining room and a toilet along with a second bedroom where Aithusa liked to linger. He smiled proudly as he remembered the trouble he'd gone to making the tent all those years ago.

Merlin brought a chair outside and sat down. Hogwarts was full of magic but most of the people there were students. Being surrounded by so many adult witches and wizards was something else entirely. Merlin was practically _absorbing_ the magic as he sat.

_Why do you look so happy?_ Aithusa asked.

_Can't you feel it? There's so much magic in the air,_ Merlin sighed.

_Hey, you're the incarnation of magic not me. I'm pretty sure it's something only you can feel._

Merlin gave the mental equivalent of a shrug and pondered the outcome of the Quidditch match.

xxx

When Merlin got back to the school he felt exhausted and more stressed than he had been before. School was about to begin and all Merlin could do was cling to the hope that _watching_ chaos and destruction would satisfy Potter's need for troublemaking. Merlin thanked the triple goddess that the Ministry had set up an age limit. They even had an Auror staying at the school so _hopefully_ for once they'd have a somewhat peaceful year.

"Dream on," Merlin muttered to himself.

xxx

Expectations ran high as October approached. Nobody really knew what to expect. Merlin had visited Durmstrang long ago when the school was first being built. Unfortunately Beauxbatons was built after Merlin's 'disappearance'. It took a long time to convince the world that he was dead and Merlin refused to come out of hiding so he could watch the creation of yet another wizarding school.

When the students gathered in the Entrance Hall most of the teachers (Merlin included) joined them as they watched and waited for the arrival of the new students. Merlin had expected the other schools to show off but he was as surprised as everyone else when a carriage the size of a house landed outside of the school.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped out of the carriage and unfolded a golden set of steps. Madame Maxime obviously had some giantess in her because she was easily as big as Hagrid. Applause broke out and the woman gave a smile.

"My dear Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime, waving on of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

Harry, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, now noticed that around a dozen boys and girls – all, by the look of them, in their late teens – had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime.

Not long after that a magnificent ship rose out of the black lake.

xxx

Merlin sat at the teacher's table. Like everyone else he was anxious to find out who the contestants would be. The candles in the hall had been extinguished. The blue flames in the Goblet turned blue as it spat out a charred piece of paper. There was a collective gasp as Dumbledore caught it.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."

The hall broke into applause as Krum walked up to the stage and collected the piece of paper before disappearing into the back room. Everybody in the room was silenced when the flames turned red once more.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

A girl who was sending off the vibes of a Veela disappeared into the backroom. Once again the fire turned red as it spat out the third and final name.

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"

The students broke into applause once more.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said happily. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real-"

But they never found out what the students would contribute to because the goblet of fire was red once more. Sparks were flying from the goblet as it shot a fourth piece of parchment into the air.

_Oh god, don't let it be his name. Please don't let it be his name._

"Harry Potter."

_Oh._

**Yes this chapter is shorter but I'll tell you what. If I get good feedback I'll post the next one later tonight!**


	19. B4 ch 2

**Alright here it is. Ch 2**

**Once again I dedicate a chapter to Hinote Snidget whom without this chapter would never have been made.**

**Disclaimer: A chunk of the dialogue is copied from the book so give J.K. the credit for that. Also Merlin belongs to the BBC but the plot is mine! Actually…**

Merlin nearly spat his pumpkin juice across the table but fortunately managed to keep it in. How on _earth_ had Harry managed that? Merlin scanned the crowd for the boy. Harry Potter shakily rose to his feet. Merlin watched him disappear into the back room and the hall erupted into chaos.

"Silence!" roared the headmaster before beckoning Merlin to forward.

"Examine the line then join me and the other teachers into the backroom," he said.

Merlin nodded and examined the line while they quarrelled. When he was satisfied he slipped into the backroom but none of the teachers noticed.

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.

"He didn't," Merlin said quietly. There was a brief moment of silence.

"You are the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, what would you know of this branch of magic?" Karkaroff dismissed.

"Actually, Emryan here is more than he appears. He has extensive knowledge of the older branches of magic such as the kind I used to draw the age line in the first place. He is also one of my most trusted friends. We should hear what he has to say," Dumbledore insisted.

Merlin cleared his throat before continuing.

"There is an extra feature that links the line to the goblet. You may have noticed that students who use aging potions are capable of passing the line but are hit with the full force of the age line _after_ they deposit their name in the cup. Well that's because the line can recognise that the identities of the students that _crossed_ the line don't add up with the name in the goblet. This is why the students are thrown back. I just finished examining the line and what I found was…Interesting to say the least. Whoever put Harry's name in the goblet was unaware of the feature so it did trigger the line _however_ the person responsible was clearly a powerful witch or wizard because they overcame the effects of the line. The magic necessary is far beyond that of a fourth year student. Whoever it was is clearly well versed in the Dark Arts," Merlin finished.

"Very impressive," growled a voice near the door. Merlin turned and watched as Mad Eye Moody limped into the room. "Emryan was it?" he asked as he extended a hand. Merlin reluctantly shook it. Something about the Auror gave him the creeps.

"I must agree when I say that witch or wizard was not a student. It would have taken a tremendously powerful Confundus Charm to bamboozle the Goblet into forgetting that it's only supposed to accept three champions."

While the three teachers continued to argue Merlin looked at Mad Eye curiously. Something about the man was off somehow. Merlin just couldn't put his finger on it.

xxx

Merlin didn't see Harry in the great hall for breakfast the next morning but he supposed it made sense. The boy clearly wouldn't want to be pestered. Merlin sat down in his normal seat and poured himself some pumpkin juice. Aithusa was sitting happily on his shoulder as she quietly considered the events of the previous night.

_If we discover it was Karkaroff then I call the right to say I told you so,_ Aithusa said. Merlin snorted as he lifted the goblet to his lips. The pumpkin juice burned unpleasantly as he swallowed. He felt his magic flare up protectively.

"Albus," he shouted, his voice sounding strangely strangled. The headmaster turned in surprise.

"I think I've been poisoned."

A deafening silence fell across the Great Hall as Merlin coughed violently and blood began trickled from his mouth.

xxx

Madame Pomfrey was wary of him at first but quickly got to work. She asked to see the cup and Albus (who had been smart enough to bring it) passed it over. She paled when a quick spell revealed it to be Lockencile. Apparently somebody had slipped a deadly, magically enhanced, poison into his cup. She quickly worked on an antidote while muttering something about it being a miracle he wasn't already dead.

Merlin slept a fair bit while the poison worked its way through his system. He supposed that he'd been worse. When Nimueh had poisoned him he went into a sort of coma and Serket venom certainly _hurt_ more. All in all the supposedly deadly poison coursing through his system was little more than a mild annoyance.

Merlin liked to think that he gave whoever slipped him the poison a shock when he walked into the hall for dinner the next day with a smile on his face but unfortunately he couldn't tell. When Merlin returned to his room he cast a complicated charm on the door to prevent people from entering as a precaution and almost immediately fell asleep.

xxx

Merlin sat in the back of the empty classroom as both he and Ludo Bagman waited for the champions to arrive.

"You're the bloke who got poisoned, right?" Ludo asked awkwardly.

"Yes," Merlin answered hesitantly. Where was this conversation going?

"I was wondering if I could ask a favour. You see Rita Skeeter will be arriving with the photographer and, well, she's put the Ministry under a lot of stress lately. I was wondering if you would mind _avoiding_ the subject of the poisoning…"

"I am not a fan of the way Miss Skeeter twists the truth around. I will not comment but that is no guarantee that she will not post some lie based on rumour," Merlin said. Ludo seemed relieved.

"Splendid! That woman has been causing chaos at the Ministry, all these lies she's printed in the _Prophet_. Not that the attack on at the Quidditch World Cup helped…" he trailed off as the champions began to enter the room.

Harry was the last to enter the room.

"Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come…nothing to worry about, it's just the Wand Weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment-" Ludo said before reassuring Harry that the Wand Weighing was no cause for concern.

"This is Rita Skeeter," he added as he gestured to the witch in magenta robes.

"Maybe not _that_ small, Ludo," she purred as her eyes settled on Harry. "I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she said to Bagman. "The youngest champion, you know…to add a bit of colour?"

Before Bagman could reply Merlin stepped in.

"Actually Miss Skeeter I am quite familiar with your reputation. We both know that you'll end up creating your own interview so on Harry's behalf I'd rather decline." Rita's gaze flickered between the relieved looking Harry and the calm looking Merlin.

"And who might you be?" she asked. Merlin knew she was already planning out her story.

"An old friend of Dumbledore, I noticed that you called him an obsolete dingbat," Merlin said pointedly. At that moment Dumbledore entered the room with Mr Ollivander. His eyes widened when he saw Merlin who silently cursed Albus for not telling him that this particular wand maker would be accompanying them. Merlin hoped the man would not remember him but he supposed the circumstances had been most unusual. Merlin had gone into the wand shop looking for a wand that he could use so he wouldn't stand out when he occasionally ventured into the wizarding world. Unfortunately the wand had _exploded_ when Merlin attempted to wield it which prompted his decision to create a fake one. Well, that in itself wouldn't be too much of an issue. The fact that Merlin had visited the wand shop _fifty years before_ however…

**Lockencile doesn't exist (as far as I know). When I was creating the name I combine Cyanide with Hemlock and Lockencile was the result. Also: dun, Dun, DUUUUUUUUUUUUN!**

**P.S. A word to 'Anonymous'. I appreciate your reply however do not understand why you bother to post anonymously. Still, it didn't take long to uncover your identity. Your way with words betrays you. Still, the thought was good and I appreciate the encouragement/criticism. Although next time please post under your real account, that way I can actually answer you while being SURE. Seriously, it would be embarrassing if I PMed the person I think you are and discover your not...Well that and you'd probably deny it. Enjoy!**

**P.P.S. Please ignore that last one if you're NOT 'Anonymous'.**


	20. B4 ch 3

**Haha, I see most of you hated the cliffie.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, I'm not BBC. I don't own Merlin or HP.**

Merlin was thankful when the man didn't say anything although he dawdled in the classroom while everyone else left. Merlin stayed behind and prepared himself for the onslaught of questions.

"You look the same," he commented. Merlin smiled,

"You don't."

"I knew you were something different when the wand exploded in your grip. Twelve and a quarter inch, dogwood, Unicorn hair, slightly springy…It was a fine wand," he commented absently.

Merlin hesitated, "I know you must want answers but please…Don't tell anybody."

The old man smiled, "Your secret is safe with me."

xxx

Merlin was relieved when it was over. He could finally focus on more important things. Like the dragons that were in the Dark Forest. Dumbledore had asked him to go out and help with the dragons given his…expertise. So after classes were over Merlin opened the window so Aithusa could stretch her wings and he approached the Dark Forest.

After a long walk he heard shouts and a deafening roar. Merlin grinned as he heard the deformed half breeds that were passed off as dragons. He arrived to see four dragons inside fenced enclosures. There were seven or eight wizards to a dragon, each one trying to control them by pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs.

"You must be the extra help Dumbledore told me about," a wizard shouted over the noise. Merlin smiled at him.

"Yes, my name is Emryan," the man heaved on the chain he was holding.

"My name's Charlie. I would shake your hand but…" he gave an extra tug on the chain.

"My brother's in your class. His name's Ron Weasley." Charlie's voice dropped. "Is it true that you're a dragonlord?"

Merlin stifled a groan, "Let me guess. Everybody here knows?"

Charlie hesitated and that was the only answer Merlin needed. He let out a sigh before turning to the particularly vicious looking horntail.

_"Calm yourself,"_ he hissed in the dragon tongue. Charlie looked surprised when the dragon stopped flailing around.

_"Stop resisting, keep calm,"_ he ordered and the dragon bowed low.

"That was incredible," Charlie said as he looked in awe at the suddenly subdued Horntail. Merlin shrugged but was surprised with how comfortable he felt exposing that particular secret. As Merlin tamed the other dragons he considered his true secret. Why did he hide the truth about his identity? He pondered some more. Was it so people wouldn't bother him? But deep down he knew the reason. Back in Camelot he had feared execution but towards the end he'd known Arthur wouldn't execute him. He'd kept the secret because he'd been afraid people would treat him differently, that they wouldn't accept him…that they'd be afraid. Was Hogwarts so different? He was still different from everyone else but those who knew had accepted him…Merlin dismissed thoughts of revealing himself, he knew that destiny had more in mind for the Potter boy. He could worry about his own comfort a hundred years from now.

Merlin talked and laughed with the wizards who were still eyeing the submissive dragons warily. They chatted about life in Romania and their various experiences with different breeds and Charlie even invited him to join them in Romania.

"We could use somebody with your talents back in Romania," he'd said casually but Merlin had waved a dismissive hand.

"I am needed at Hogwarts. One day perhaps."

Merlin felt one of the dragons grow agitated and with a frown Merlin went to investigate.

"Hello Hagrid!" Charlie called happily.

"Aren't they beautiful?" he said softly. "What breeds you got there?"

"That's a Hungarian Horntail right there. It's normally a vicious beast but Emryan calmed it down. Amazing he is, you should've seen him," Charlie said, shaking his head. "Then that one over there is a Common Welsh Green and the smaller one, no the blue grey one, is a Swedish Short-Snout. Then last but not least we've got the Chinese Fireball which is the red one."

Charlie frowned when he saw Maxime, "I didn't know you were bringing her. She's bound to tell her student about the task."

"Just though she might want to see them," Hagrid said happily.

"Yeah, real romantic date right there. Hey, Emryan, come over here," Charlie said and waved over a happy looking Merlin. "You know Hagrid."

"Good to see you again," Merlin said.

"You too, all recovered then?" he asked. Merlin cringed as Charlie frowned.

"Recovered from what?"

"It's nothing!" Merlin said hastily.

Hagrid snorted, "Not nothin'! First Harry's name gets thrown in that goblet then you get poisoned."

"You were poisoned?" Charlie asked with a frown.

"It doesn't matter, I'm fine," Merlin hissed.

"I was there! You were coughing up blood and everything! I thought you'd had it."

"Thanks for that one," Merlin muttered as Charlie shook his head. Before Charlie could pester him anymore Merlin turned to him, "You may want to tell that woman over there to stop prodding the Short-Snout, she's about ready to bite her hand off."

Charlie ran off towards Madame Maxime.

"Hagrid, drop it. The _Prophet_ can't catch wind of this. Anyway you should be more focused on reassuring Harry, he looks like he's going to be sick under that cloak of his," Merlin said before walking off to assist with the dragons.

xxx

Merlin watched the competitors meet the dragons while he stood at the edge of the ring with Charlie and the other wizards caring for the dragons. He watched Cedric use transfiguration to turn a rock into a Labrador but the dragon decided half way through that Cedric was more of a threat. The boy got the egg but received a nasty burn. Merlin and Charlie ran out to stop the dragon from eating Cedric after he completed the task. It immediately tamed at the sight of Merlin who gave a sigh before stroking the dragon's head. His students would be positively _buzzing_ during their next class.

Next was Fleur who used magic to enhance her Veela vibes. It worked until the dragon started snoring fire.

After that was Krum. His Chinese Fireball was a thoroughly likable creature in Merlin's opinion. It was by far his favourite out of all four dragons. He watched in horror as Krum sent a jinx into its eye. Merlin watched the poor beast stumble around and squash half of her eggs. Charlie watched curiously as Merlin muttered soothing words to the mourning mother dragon. He carefully collected the remaining eggs and reassured her that they were unharmed.

Merlin returned in time for the final task. He was tempted to end it but Harry had to complete the task himself. He ran out to comfort the Hungarian Horntail but shot Harry a reassuring grin before helping Charlie lead the dragon away. Briefly Merlin pondered the next task and wondered if Harry would need any help.

**OK everybody I actually have REASONS for the things I do. They will all play parts in the bigger picture. It may seem like I make things happen randomly e.g. Merlin revealing that he's a dragonlord to half the school or Ollivander dismissing the whole Merlin situation. But remember, I have my reasons. Now try to keep that in mind when you leave your review.**


	21. B4 ch 4

**Alright we're back, the first task is over but something tells me the second task will be a ****_tad_**** more complicated…**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, I'm not BBC. I do not own Merlin or any HP.**

Merlin _hated_ dancing. While he was far less clumsy than he had been in Camelot (only took a thousand years practise) he still wasn't the most graceful person. Because of this he spent most of the ball at the back thinking of memories of earlier Triwizard Tournaments.

Every now and then he would pull himself out of Camelot to watch a major wizarding event. He remembered one year the third task had included a maze of tunnels filled with Wilddeoren, an Acromantula nest and a number of other vile creatures. Entertainment had been more brutal back then.

It had been a test of knowledge more than anything. He shivered when he remembered the foolish boy who had mistaken common red berries for Gaia berries.

Another thing he considered was the attempt on his own life. Everybody had seen him examine the age line, was it possible that the killer thought he knew something? Somebody obviously wanted the Potter boy killed and the poisoning had been more or less dismissed because it was unsuccessful. Whoever put Harry's name in the goblet was no friend. That was for sure.

xxx

The task was driving him crazy. The eggs used Telepathic Recorders to capture the Merfolk song. It was a particularly complicated bit of magic that captured a sound to be replayed whenever the listener desires. However, the song didn't _actually_ play out loud. It simply plants the sound in the head of anybody within its vicinity. Most people can't tell the difference but Merlin could.

The telepathic ability Merlin had could be used as a transmitter or a receiver. Because of this whenever somebody opened the egg he could hear it. The first few times the high screeching had echoed through his brain but he knew the first champion had discovered the truth when the song echoed through his head.

Merlin was sleeping when the horrible screech echoed through his head. He instinctively leapt to his feet but his legs grew tangled in the sheets. Merlin let out a startled yell as he fell out of the bed and landed on Aithusa who sank her teeth into his arm. He hissed in pain and she realized who she'd bitten. Aithusa carefully released him.

_What the hell was that?_ Merlin demanded.

_Hey, you fell on me! Ever heard the saying 'Let sleeping dragons lie'?_

Merlin glared at her, _somebody opened a champion egg._

Before Aithusa could reply a second message interrupted their telepathic conversation.

_'Come seek us where our voices sound,  
>We cannot sing above the ground,<br>And while you're searching ponder this:  
>We've taken something you'll sorely miss.<br>An hour long you'll have to look,  
>To recover what we took,<br>But past an hour – the prospects black,  
>Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.<em>

"Somebody figured it out," Merlin said rubbing his head. "Hold on…Oh god, they're listening again."

The mystery person listened to it three times but while they listened Merlin changed into his robes and threw on his travelling cloak. He left a disgruntled Aithusa on the floor as he went out in search of the student. It obviously wasn't Fleur or Krum since they would be working it out with their teachers during the day. That left either Diggory or Harry.

Merlin was on the stairs when he heard the wail again. He cringed but heard a noise above the screeches.

"PEEVES!" he heard Filch cry. Merlin hurried towards the source of the commotion and found Filch holding an egg while he talked with Snape.

"I want you to help me find the intru-" he stopped suddenly and looked at Merlin.

"Professor Myles, so kind of you to join us," he said coldly. Merlin's gaze flickered towards Harry under his invisibility cloak. His leg was trapped in a trick stair.

"I heard a disturbance and came to investigate. I assume you're here for the same reason," Merlin said tiredly.

_Are you alright?_ Merlin asked. He saw Harry nod.

"May I ask…"Snape began but stopped abruptly.

_Clunk. Clunk. Clunk._

Merlin, Snape, Filch and the invisible Harry all turned to look down at the foot of the stairs. Mad Eye Moody limped into view. He was also wearing a travelling cloak but unlike Merlin who was fully dressed, he was simply wearing it over a nightshirt.

"Pyjama party, is it?" he asked as he surveyed the truly bizarre scene. Filch clutched a golden egg while Snape stood in his nightshirt and Merlin fully dressed stood on the stairs above them. Merlin could have sworn he saw that magically enchanted eye flicker to Harry. Merlin met Moody's eye and fractionally inclined his head towards Harry. Moody's normal eye marginally widened and Merlin bowed his head slightly. The exchange was over in a matter of second and Filch and Snape remained oblivious.

"What's that you've got there, Filch?" Moody asked and gestured to the egg. Filch held it up proudly,

"It's a champion clue. Peeves threw it down the stairs. This here is my ticket to finally getting rid of that damn poltergeist," he said happily.

"Was that the source of the noise then?" Merlin asked. Filch nodded.

"Well then if it's all the same to you three I think we should be heading off to bed," Moody said slowly. His magical eye was flicking between Merlin and Harry but his normal eye was fixed on Snape.

"Yes I think I will," Snape said curtly.

"Oh and if you don't mind I'll take the egg. I have a lesson first thing tomorrow with Potter. I can ask if the egg is his and if it's not, well I'll find Mister Diggory and return the egg," Merlin said extending a hand.

"No!" said Filch as he clutched the egg tighter. Professor Myles, this is evidence of Peeve's treachery!"

"It's the property of the champion he stole it from," Moody interrupted. "Give it to him, now."

Snape swept down the hall and Filch reluctantly handed over the egg before following. Merlin and Moody stood in awkward silence as they listened to the footsteps echo down the hall and eventually die away.

Harry threw off the cloak, confirming that they were all aware of his presence.

"Close shave, Potter," Moody muttered as he heaved himself up the stairs. "Hold on, what's this?" he said picking up a strange map.

"Oh, right, that's mine," Harry said. "It's a map of Hogwarts."

"Merlin's beard," Moody muttered causing Merlin to flinch but the two didn't notice.

"Here, let me help you out of that step," Merlin said and, with some difficulty, pulled him free.

"How did you know Potter was hiding there?" Moody asked suspiciously.

"I knew about the cloak. It slipped slightly when I was talking to Severus and Filch. Then I remembered the trick step, I saw the egg in Filch's arms. It doesn't take a genius to join the dots," Merlin lied. The answer seemed good enough for Moody.

"Say Potter, mind if I borrow this?" he asked, turning back to Harry.

"Oh…uh, yeah," he said reluctantly. He was clearly fond of his map. Moody thanked him profusely and glanced at Merlin.

"Goodnight Potter, Professor," he said before limping away. Merlin and Harry were left standing awkwardly in the corridor.

_Glad you figured out the clue,_ Merlin said. Harry's eyes widened.

"How did you…?" he started but Merlin just smiled and tapped his head.

"I heard. It's a long story but that egg makes more noise than you realize, Potter. Don't worry you won't be getting a detention from me. I suggest you get back to Gryffindor Tower though," he said before turning on his heel and walking back to bed.

xxx

Merlin didn't trust Moody. He knew there was something strange about him and the business about the map just confirmed it. It took _all_ of his self-restraint not to dive into the water after Harry during the second task. A wave of relief washed over him when Harry resurfaced relatively unharmed. He sighed as he collapsed on his bed, exhausted from the stress.

"I can't wait for that Hogsmeade visit," he muttered loudly.

**A cliffie for those of you well versed in the Harry Potter books. For those of you that aren't…Well you'll find out soon enough!**


	22. B4 ch 5

**Alright here it is. I have already written the next few chapters and I will try to write more soon but there is a TINY possibility that I will pause (and on my timetable that probably means a couple days then I spam you with chapters) this series...I'll have a long and boring explanation after the story. For now enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling although I've pinched her ideas and dialogue and I (unfortunately) don't own Merlin.**

Merlin was at the edge of Hogsmeade with a bottle of Fire Whisky under his arm. He felt the need to get away from the crowds of people so he sat on a partially collapsed wall near a small country lane. He smiled when he remembered the day before Camlann. Just him, Arthur and a few men down at the Tavern playing dice games. Then everything went wrong.

Merlin's sigh became a frown as he noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione hurrying up the country lane with a large bag. Merlin frowned and muttered and enchantment to make him go unnoticed before following them. His confusion grew when they followed the winding road to the foot of the mountains. Then he saw a large black dog with a paper in its mouth and the confusion disappeared.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry said when they reached him.

Merlin muttered a curse before following them up the steep mountainside. They disappeared into a narrow fissure through which Merlin followed and they were all in a cool, dimly lit cave. Sirius Black was a man once more but looked very thin.

"Hello again," Merlin said softly and removed the enchantment. They all spun around in collective shock when they saw him. Merlin waved a dismissive hand, "Don't worry I'm not about to hand you over to the Ministry. Especially after all the bother I went to trying to get you out of Hogwarts."

Sirius gave a hearty laugh and Harry and Hermione smiled. Ron who had been in the hospital wing at the time gave a weak smile. Merlin hesitated before handing Sirius the Fire Whisky.

"Looks like you need it more than me."

A wide grin appeared on Sirius's face as he accepted the bottle and started pawing through the bag Harry left him.

"Chicken!" he cried hoarsely and called out his thanks as he began to gnaw on it in a very doglike way.

"So how did you even get in here?" Hermione asked as she sat down on the cave floor.

"Followed you lot of course but don't feel bad for not noticing. You wouldn't have seen me if you were looking for me," he said throwing Harry a wink.

"Invisibility cloak?" guessed Ron.

"Something like that. So, Sirius, what are you doing back in town?" Merlin asked before leaning against the stone wall.

"I want to be as close as possible to Harry for the duration of the tournament," he explained.

"I guess that makes sense, you being his godfather and everything…" Merlin said scratching his chin.

"They told you about that?" Sirius asked, glancing at the trio.

"Well I admit, I was a _tad_ curious about my reasons for breaking out a recently escaped mass murderer."

Sirius gave another grin, "Thanks for that by the way."

"Hold on a minute," Harry interrupted. "How do you two actually know each other? Professor, you just sent us that dragon, you never actually _met_ Sirius."

Merlin and Sirius locked gazes from across the room.

"Ah," Merlin said hesitantly. "About that…Do you remember that dragon?"

"Oh course," Hermione broke in.

"Well," Merlin said, choosing his words _carefully_. "Shall we say that your godfather here is not the only unregistered Animagus in the world?"

Harry's jaw dropped, "You are kidding!"

"I am not."

"You're an Animagus?"

"That's what I just said, yes," Merlin said irritably.

"I thought it was impossible to choose a dragon form when you become an Animagus," Hermione said. Sirius and Merlin exchanged a knowing look.

"It's not nearly that simple Hermione. When you become an Animagus you don't simply _pick_ a form. Like a wand, Hermione, it more or less chooses you."

xxx

The questions did not end there but eventually conversation shifted and in the end Merlin was the one to announce that the visit must come to an end. He shook hands with Sirius before dragging the three students back up to the castle.

Anticipation was high as the third task approached. Merlin couldn't help but grin as he sat in the spectator stands with the rest of the students and teachers. He watched Harry run into the maze with the other three competitors. Then all they could do was wait. But Merlin felt familiar tremors run through the grounds and frowned.

_Can you feel it?_ Merlin asked Aithusa.

_Can I feel what?_

Then it hit him, the conversation they'd had at the Quidditch World Cup. This was something only he could feel. Merlin knew something was horribly wrong because the tremors passing through the earth were from a powerful magical source. They came from a portkey.

xxx

Merlin stumbled across the ground beside the maze. He had to get out of sight. Harry was in there with a recently activated portkey. He could sense that two entities had been snatched from the earth and transported god knows where. Merlin knew that with everything that had happened over the past three years, it was always Harry. So he stumbled away from the crowd and circled the perimeter. Once he was out of sight he could burn his way through every wall if that's what it took. But Merlin never got that far.

Merlin let out a strangled gasp as he sank to his knees as the full force of the old religion hit him. He felt a completely invisible world crash down around him. The man had defied destiny, he'd clung to the edges of the veil that was destined to swallow him that night so many years ago.

Lord Voldemort had tipped the balance.

xxx

Merlin sat on the bed opposite Harry's and listened to the argument come to a close.

"Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Merlin watched the fool dismiss the evidence before his eyes and dump a bag of Harry's prize winnings on the table before leaving. His eyes were glazed over as Madame Pomfrey was dismissed and Sirius revealed himself to the soon-to-be members of The Order of The Phoenix. He paid no attention as Harry took the rest of his potion and fell into an enchanted sleep.

So many years ago Merlin had been born as the incarnation of magic to repair the damage done to the balance. Magic made up every fibre of his being. The balance was spinning out of control and whether he liked it or not, Merlin was tumbling with it.

**Alright, the boring explanation:  
><strong>

**It all started with a very stupid English assignment. I planned out the entire thing, I came up with every useless detail I may or may not need...Then the twist came. Well, I should probably make it clear that the assignment is to write a murder mystery (as a Sherlock fan you guys may understand the extensive planning)...Well our teacher announced that to make it more 'challenging' we have to write it in first person...from the detective's perspective.**

**Now that MAY not sound like a big deal but I want you to IMAGINE. Think of Sherlock Holmes in the original series...Alright now imagine writing the story from Sherlock's perspective. OK for you non-Sherlock fans I will water this explanation down a bit. Imagine writing a first person story from the eyes of a character who is built up to be mysterious, unpredictable, unsociable and is basically a sociopath. Oh, yeah, to top it off my detective is a guy and I'm a girl making this awkward and unnecessary...**

**This assignment will be my death.**

**I hope none of you will ever feel my pain...**

**Please review because I got depressed by the lack of feedback on the last chapter. REPEAT, YOU ARE MY LAST MOTIVATOR!**


	23. B5 ch 1

Merlin stood outside of Number 12 Grimmauld Place with a disgruntled dove on his shoulder.

_Nice enchantments, pity they're pathetic,_ she said irritably.

_They'll work fine on most people. You're just mad you have to be a dove again._

_Well normally I'm allowed a bit of free roam in the holidays. It's hardly my fault I don't like being a damn bird all the time._

Merlin shook his head and opened the door. "Hello?" he called out as he looked around. Old fashioned gas lights flickered dimly. They gave off enough light to reveal the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet. There was a long, sinister looking hallway ahead of him, lined with crooked portraits that were blackened with age.

Sirius appeared at the end of the hallway and gave a grin. "Don't worry, he's a friend of Dumbledore," he called out as the real Mad Eye Moody limped into view.

"Dumbledore sent me, said Harry had been relocated here," Merlin said as he looked at a blackened portrait curiously.

"Ah, well we're just about to have dinner. He should be down in a second. We've just-" he was cut off as a scream echoed through the house. Sirius cursed and charged up the hall. Merlin followed. They saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Lupin and a woman with pink hair standing around a portrait of an old woman.

"Shut UP!" Sirius yelled as he tried to force the curtains shut. Merlin examined the portrait carefully. There was magic infused in the magical painting. Merlin's eyes glowed briefly as he extended a palm and silenced the woman. Merlin smiled, looking a little smug, as the woman wrapped a bony hand around her throat and tried desperately to continue her tortured wail. A bewildered Sirius turned around to look at Merlin.

"How on earth did you manage that?" he asked.

"I'm a druid of sorts," he explained as he easily closed the curtains, hiding the portrait from view. "The magic infused in this portrait is nothing particularly special. I just severed a few enchantments that gave the painting a voice in the first place. I can re-enchant it whenever you like."

Sirius let out a grin, "How about never?"

xxx

Merlin insisted that he wasn't hungry and would rather just go to bed so Sirius showed him to a spare room before disappearing down to the dining room. Merlin sat down on the bed and cast a quick enchantment to prevent people from entering before transforming Aithusa. She sneezed and almost set fire to the rug.

"Yes I suppose it's a bit dusty," Merlin said as he looked around at the grimy room. He let out a sigh, before he reluctantly started to clean.

xxx

Merlin found he was resorting to his old manservant habits. He woke up at dawn and got dressed. He decided to leave Aithusa as a dragon but he was thorough with the enchantments he left on the room. When he got downstairs nobody else was up but that didn't stop him. Unlike all those years ago in Camelot, he could more or less openly use magic to clean.

Merlin started with the kitchen, he cleared the cobwebs from the corners and in a flash of gold the countertops were shining. It was strangely fun to clean with magic. It almost felt like he was breaking some sort of unspoken rule. Of course he realized that it was probably the threat of execution that had kept his magic usage at a minimum for all those years.

Merlin sat down and used telekinesis to wash the dishes and clean the cabinets. Then he used magic to scrub the floors, when he was done the room was practically sparkling. It was incredibly difficult to resist checking over his shoulder before muttering spells under his breath.

Merlin spent the next hour restoring the blackened portraits in the hall. It was complicated but he managed. When Mrs Weasley came downstairs, thinking everyone else was asleep, she found Merlin sitting in a near perfect kitchen with a cup of tea in his hands. He looked quite pleased.

xxx

Harry, Ron and Hermione stumbled into the kitchen and rubbed their eyes. Merlin was chatting politely with Mrs Weasley who was cooking dinner.

"Did we walk into the wrong kitchen?" Ron muttered as he took a seat.

"It's wonderful isn't it? Emryan did all this in a few hours," she said cheerfully.

"Good morning," Merlin said happily.

Mrs Weasley quickly dished out the food. "Eat quickly you lot. You're going to help me clear out the Doxys in the Drawing Room."

xxx

Merlin helped clear out old family relics with everyone else. A shiver was sent up his spine when he found a dusty old box containing a medal.

Order of Merlin: First Class  
>for Services to the Ministry<p>

Merlin stared at his own name and shook his head sadly before throwing the box in the rubbish sack per Sirius' request. He looked up in time to see Sirius throw a heavy locket in the sack.

"WAIT!" Merlin roared and pulled the locket free. He practically flinched at the touch.

"What is it?" Sirius asked curiously.

"I don't know but…This is some seriously dark stuff, Sirius. Wherever did you get this?"

"I don't know where half of this stuff came from," he admitted. "Is it dangerous?"

"Very, the magic in this is similar to the kind I found in Tom Riddle's diary. You remember Harry?"

"What the preserved teenage Voldemort that set a basilisk on us? Yeah, rings a bell."

"Sirius," Merlin asked slowly. "Do you mind if I hang onto this? I wouldn't mind showing it to Dumbledore actually."

Sirius waved a dismissive hand, "Take whatever you want."

Merlin carefully emptied a small wooden box and placed the locket inside before placing it inside his robes.

xxx

Merlin found himself enjoying the time spent in Grimmauld Place. The pace was familiar yet…different. People helped him with the jobs, nobody insulted him on a daily basis, the work itself was easier and of course the biggest change of all…magic. It was so common place in the strange and ancient house. He found sticking charms on many of the paintings and tapestries around the house, many of the objects he attempted to move fought back and of course the mysterious creatures that were nesting in the old house.

Merlin was in his room when he heard a knock on his door. He quickly transfigured a very reluctant Aithusa and threw it open. There, standing in the hall, was Lupin.

"Can I help you?" Merlin asked pleasantly.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Lupin asked. A slightly confused Merlin opened the door wider and gestured for Lupin to enter. When the werewolf was inside he turned back to Merlin.

"Molly had a nasty run in with a boggart and it reminded me of your own…experiences with one."

Merlin crossed the room and glanced out of the window. "What about it?"

"I wanted to remind you that if ever you wish to…talk to someone about your past experiences we're here."

Merlin did not look at Lupin. "I am here because a few years ago, when Harry was about to start at Hogwarts, Dumbledore asked me to protect him. I've done the best I can and the boy is still alive at least. But that's it. I'm here to protect the boy and teach the students at Hogwarts. I promised to assist the Order in any way I can but my past does not concern you or anyone else. Now I suggest you forget that little interaction I had with that boggart." Merlin turned on his heel and quickly left the room but before he went Lupin saw the tear sliding down his cheek.

**Alright everybody, we have our introductory chapter. Next time we will meet the pink toad, I wonder what Merlin will have to say about her?**


	24. B5 ch 2

Merlin was not happy with the situation. The woman, Umbridge, was clearly a nasty piece of work. Her magic was not particularly powerful but Merlin could sense lingering traces of dark magic. It was what Merlin liked to call a 'surface trace'. Unlike the magic he'd sensed in Potter, the trace magic from Umbridge did not come from within. Most likely she'd had some sort of close contact with an enchanted object. That in itself was cause for concern so Merlin was on edge.

Merlin had built a large bonfire and set it alight for the first lesson. People had enjoyed watching the flame loving Salamanders scuttle through the pile. For their second lesson they were supposed learn about identifying the different types of Salamander. Merlin watched the students chatter in small groups as they pointed at the brightly coloured lizards and jotted down answers on parchment attached to their clipboards. However, halfway through the lesson Merlin pulled Harry aside.

"Can I see your hand a sec?" he asked quietly. Harry was surprised by the request but seemed to understand. His hand was red and the skin was irritated. Merlin's hand barely brushed the hairs on Harry's hand, the teacher had intentionally avoided touching the irritated skin. Merlin dropped Harry's hand.

"Thank you, Harry," he said quietly before letting him return to the project. Merlin was silently furious.

At five o'clock Harry returned for his next detention to find Professor Myles standing before Umbridge.

"I have the right to give my students appropriate detentions, Professor Myles," Umbridge announced hotly.

"Indeed you do however I think you'll find that the use of Blood Quills is strictly forbidden," Merlin answered calmly.

"And who told you that? Potter?" she asked gesturing to Harry. "He has been spreading ludicrous stories all summer. Are you ready to take his word over that of a Ministry official?"

"Actually Potter didn't tell me anything. I'm capable of recognising dark magic when I see it. Now we have two choices. You can set your students suitable punishments during detentions. Or I can report you to the Ministry."

Umbridge smiled sweetly at him and opened her large mouth to reply but Merlin cut her off.

"Of course I'm aware of the fact that due to certain…circumstances that report would probably not make it very far. So please, let me rephrase that. Start setting your students decent punishments or I will send a letter to an old friend in the Misuse of Magic department who owes me a favour. Oh and I know that you probably think you can get away on a certain technicality that prevents them from searching your office but let me remind you that Blood Quills are activated with a wand and there is certainly enough evidence for them to check your wand. Are we clear, Professor?"

Her smile became very forced as she gave a jerky nod. Merlin winked at Harry as he left the room.

xxx

Umbridge interrogated most of Merlin's students as she desperately searched for something she could hold against him.

"What do you think of these lessons Mr Thomas?" she asked.

Dean shot Merlin a grin before saying, "They're excellent."

Merlin was pleasantly surprised when none of the Slytherins said anything particularly incriminating. Granted none of them said anything particularly _encouraging_ but they could have been worse.

Merlin shot Umbridge a smile when class was over, "I assume the blood quills have remained inactive?" he asked pleasantly. She gave a stiff smile and immediately started drawing lines through several of her notes while adding new ones.

xxx

Merlin was worried about Aithusa. He knew that woman, Umbridge, would soon have a tighter hold on the school and she would have access to student dormitories and staff chambers. Because of this Merlin was careful to keep anything of importance in a magically sealed trunk and he cast several protective enchantments whenever he left Aithusa in her dragon form. He simply hoped that it was enough.

Merlin noticed that most of his students looked unhappy. He'd heard rumours of a meeting in the Hog's Head bar. Apparently it had prompted the new rule forbidding students to hold unauthorised clubs or meetings. The dark shadows under Harry's eyes had not gone unnoticed. So after the lesson Merlin was surprised to see that Harry lingered.

"Professor," he asked slowly. "You stood up against Umbridge for me…I never really said thank you for that."

Merlin gave a friendly smile, "It wasn't a problem, Harry. She was torturing you and she would have done it to other students.

"She's not letting us do magic in class," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"We were going to create a study group of sorts but…We think she found out because she put up the new rule the next day. I know we're not supposed to but…"

"You're planning on going ahead with the plan," Merlin finished softly. "Good."

Harry looked up sharply, "You think it's a good idea?"

"As a teacher I guess I'm not supposed to condone rule breaking but I suppose I don't consider any rule created by that toad a proper rule so if you want to break her rule go ahead."

Harry laughed but his face turned serious again. "The thing is we don't have anywhere to practise…"

Merlin was thoughtful for a moment, "How many people will be joining this…club?"

"Twenty-eight," Harry answered hesitantly.

Merlin whistled through his teeth and thought quickly. He hadn't visited the place in years but…Well he'd created it for this purpose…Right?

"I think I have the perfect place."

xxx

Aithusa, who spent most of her time by the window, saw the hulking figure approach the cabin.

_Come over here!_

Merlin sighed and looked at the small cabin in the distance. Squares of light were appearing at the windows. Merlin grinned but his expression became fixed in a reluctant frown when he remembered he was marking essays handed in by his NEWT students.

_Should we go tonight?_ Aithusa suggested.

_Tonight, as soon as I've finished grading the papers._

xxx

Merlin was unaware of the scene inside. He didn't see the surprised looks closely followed by panicked expressions. He didn't see the trio throw the cloak back on. He did, however, see Hagrid open the door. His face was a mess of bruises and his eye was practically a slit in swollen skin. Merlin's eyes widened.

"Professor?" asked Hagrid as he peered at him. Merlin saw Harry and the others under the invisibility cloak behind Hagrid.

"Oh, don't worry I know you three are in there," he called. Harry threw off the cloak and gave Merlin a little wave. "Hagrid, what on earth happened to your face?"

The giant ushered him inside before collapsing in a chair.

"You need to get that treated," Merlin said and pointed at his face.

"Can't go to the hospital wing," he grunted.

"So I assume the mission with the giants did not go well? Don't worry I'm a member of the Order. Dumbledore told me about the plan to visit the giants."

Hagrid sighed, "It's a long story and I've already told it once tonight."

Merlin nodded understandingly before glancing at the door. "Wait here, I'll be back," he said before rushing out into the forest with a dove on his shoulder.

When he returned he had a large leather bag with him.

"I keep this well stocked just in case," he said patting the bag as he dropped it carefully on the table. He started rooting through the bag and pulled out a small bottle. Merlin held it up to the light and nodded his head before handing it to the giant.

"Take that, it'll help with the pain. I have a solution, the smell is unlike anything else but it will help with the swelling. Oh and this," he added holding up another bottle. "Well this should help prevent infection. Sorry I can't do more, it's been a long time since I've worked with medicine."

The trio gaped at him.

"How do you know so much about medicine?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, my uncle was a physician. He taught me a lot but as I said, haven't touched this stuff in years."

"Dumbledore said you were experienced in the dark arts last year. Then you knew about those potions when I was in first year. Remember? You just examined them for a few seconds and you chose the right one. Now it turns out you know all this stuff about medicine. Is there anything you're _not_ an expert in?" Harry asked.

Merlin was thoughtful for a moment, "Bravery."

The trio looked confused.

"But you did all that stuff! You saved the Philosopher's Stone and went into the Chamber of Secrets then you helped Sirius escape! You couldn't have done that stuff if you weren't brave," Ron pointed out.

Merlin's expression grew distant. "I wasn't always," he answered quietly.

Ron opened his mouth to ask another question but Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. Merlin snapped out of his little trance.

"Well I think I'm all done here. Try to keep off your feet, Hagrid." Without a backwards glance Merlin left the cabin, the dove soaring after him.

xxx

"What was that for?" Ron asked when Merlin was gone.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you see it? He was hurt, Ron. He was thinking of something when he answered you. Something happened to him."

Hagrid grunted softly. He was starting to fall asleep.

"The question is," Harry said quietly. "What?"

**Well, I don't have much to say about this chapter…Huh, that's new.**


	25. B5 ch 3

**I am SO sorry guys. My account has been down all day while I silently panicked about the reactions I'd get when I finally uploaded. I WOULD do a double upload to make up for it but I'm a bit behind schedule so as soon as I've had the chance to do some serious writing we'll continue with the once daily routine.**

**Disclaimer: I always forget to do these. Anyway, I don't own Merlin or HP but I DO own this laptop and I will use it to keep writing this fanfic**

Merlin was silent as he listened to Harry recount the vision. The children were sent away with the portkey leaving Merlin alone with Dumbledore.

"What do you know, Merlin?" the headmaster asked.

"We both have…suspicions concerning Tom Riddle, Albus. He has dark objects scattered around and you know it. There's that diary, the locket and…other things. I have a list of theories. The most likable theory is that the objects house his power. Well, I'm sure you've suspected for a while that Harry Potter is one of these dark objects. I believe the snake Voldemort owns is also one."

Dumbledore let out a sigh like Merlin had confirmed his worst fears.

"How long have you known about the boy?"

Merlin hesitated, "Since I first met him."

"I believe I know somebody who knows. They are…unwilling to give me the memory I require. I plan on addressing him at the end of the year. Assuming I'm still headmaster of Hogwarts that is."

"What is his name, Albus?"

"Horace Slughorn."

xxx

Dumbledore was gone, disappeared with a fiery phoenix and now he beyond the reach of those Ministry idiots. But that didn't matter. He glanced at the twins as students began to filter into the hall for breakfast. They were looking at him with something like uncertainty.

"I don't see anything," one of the twins said. Merlin looked out at the students and waited.

_What exactly did you do?_ Aithusa asked.

_Wait and see._

Finally they reached the tables and the first Slytherin student sat down. The entire bench scooted away. The students near the bench jumped out of the way. Every time somebody tried to sit on one of the benches at the Slytherin table the bench would jump backwards. The Gryffindors were roaring with laughter and Dolores Umbridge stormed over to the table.

"Who is responsible for this?!" she demanded. Suddenly the benches grew still and every plate at the table rose into the air. The cutlery and goblets joined them and for a moment the dishes squabbled in the air but finally they grew still. It took Umbridge a moment to realise that the dishes were spelling out words.

_Behind you!_

She turned around and frowned. There was nothing there. Then the wall opposite her began to shake. A shape began to carve itself in the wall. Nobody could see what it was supposed to be until it was finished and a brilliant golden light flooded through the cracks. A magnificent image of a phoenix had carved itself into the wall and beneath it the words:

_Hogwarts is Protected_

xxx

"Come on, how did you pull it off?" George Weasley asked.

"Well I would have thought it was obvious, making dishes dance isn't exactly difficult," Merlin said dismissively.

"What about the carving in the wall? Hogwarts has all those pesky enchantments that prevent people from altering the structure yet _you_ managed it somehow."

Merlin smile, "Dumbledore didn't just hire me for my good looks you know."

"So is that why you're in the Order?" Fred asked.

"Shh!"

"We're in the Room of Requirement, nobody will overhear us!" he pointed out.

Merlin sighed and glanced around. The room appeared to them as a large hall with squishy chairs surrounding a small version of the round table in its centre. That was where the three sat as they discussed.

"If you _must_ know then yes, Dumbledore asked me to join the Order because he thought my…expertise would come I useful. Now, I did what you asked of me. I sent the message now I trust you two can handle the mayhem."

xxx

The twins certainly knew how make an exit. Merlin had watched them summon their confiscated brooms before flying away from the castle leaving a swamp on the fifth floor of the east wing. It took all of Merlin's self-restraint not to laugh as Umbridge tried yet again to get rid of the swamp. After giving her wand a subtle flick the swamp spat stink sap at her and let out a noise that sounded distinctly like a belch.

It seemed that half the students in the school had taken it upon themselves to fill the recently vacated spot as school troublemaker. There was a seemingly endless stream of pranks. Peeves the poltergeist was doing everything he possibly could. It had taken some effort but Merlin managed to sustain a peace treaty. It may or may not have involved Merlin breaking a few enchantments on a certain teacher's office. This (much to Aithusa's amusement) meant a certain poltergeist had complete access to said teacher's office…The carnage was not pretty.

xxx

The students were under visible strain as the exams neared. Merlin was careful about the homework he assigned them since several seemed remarkably close to a breakdown. Merlin still had students to teach while his fifth and sixth years were in class.

_That was exhausting,_ Merlin complained as he packed away the supplies left over from his lesson.

_Well it might have helped if you actu-_

_…_

_Do you hear that?_

Merlin frowned and turned towards the forest.

_Is that…?_ Merlin started.

_Centaurs,_ Aithusa finished grimly. Merlin dropped everything and sprinted into the forest. He couldn't see them yet but he could hear voices in the distance.

"We do not hurt foals."

"They brought her here, Ronan. And they are not so young…he is nearing manhood, this one."

"Please." The voice made Merlin's blood run cold.

_Was that Hermione?_

Merlin sprinted forward and stumbled into a small clearing. A grey centaur reared angrily but Merlin raised his and stared at the half human. It was a challenge.

"Look! They have led another human into our forest," another centaur said but the grey one raised a hand to silence him.

"I ask that you leave the children unharmed. They are of no threat to your kind," Merlin said.

The centaur pawed the ground as he thought. "We have no quarrel with you or the foals but the woman entered our lands and attempted to kill one of our own. I ask for sympathy, we shall willingly release these two and in return we ask for the third to remain here." Every word was carefully chosen. The other centaurs quickly identified Merlin and grew silent. Every eye was on him.

"That sounds fair," Merlin answered calmly. He bowed his head low but maintained eye contact. Every centaur fell to one knee as they bowed deeply.

"May the triple goddess treat you kindly," Merlin said before turning away from the centaur. "Come on Harry, Hermione." He looked up at the sky and squinted.

"Aithusa!"

The dove soared through the air and perched on his shoulder. Merlin led the two students away from the herd. When they were far enough away the questions began.

"How did you do that?" it was Harry who spoke.

"I asked nicely," Merlin answered.

Hermione snorted, "I've read about centaurs. They're incredibly territorial and wary of strangers, _especially_ wizards. But when you approached them you…you _challenged_ them and they backed down! That was amazing!"

"They are creatures of the old religion. They can sense ancient magic," Merlin said with a shrug. "Now, mind if I ask why you two were out here in the first place?"

**Let me explain why Grawp didn't come into it. In the book there was a whole shouting match that took place before Grawp showed up. Well, I cut out the scream fest so please let me off on the assumption that Grawp arrived there in the original because he heard all the shouting. Other than that, please leave a review! Thank you SO much for all the support (especially all you people wishing me luck with the assignment from hell), the reviews keep the plot bunnies swarming!**


	26. B5 ch 4

**This chapter is here to join two main events together. It's nothing special or interesting but I guarantee it will make you want to read more. The next chapter will be…Interesting…**

"So…You had a vision of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries and broke into the headmistress's office so you could confirm that what you saw was real."

"Yes."

"And then you met Kreacher who confirmed the vision and then you were caught. So you made her think there was a weapon in the forest and then she as sacrificed to the centaurs."

"Basically, yeah…So will you help us?"

Merlin looked at Harry for a moment. "I'll inform the Order of these…developments. If Sirius _is_ at the Department of Mysteries they need to know."

_Keep an eye on him, Aithusa. Let me know if he does anything stupid._

xxx

"Moody! Tonks! Lupin!" Merlin shouted as he stormed into Grimmauld Place. Lupin stepped out of the kitchen with Sirius at his side.

"What's wrong? How did you even get here?" Lupin asked.

"Animagus form blends in with the night sky and I flew at the cloud line. When I landed I was careful," he panted.

Lupin frowned, "Sirius did I miss something?"

"Emryan is an Animagus. Why did you come?"

Merlin opened his mouth to speak but closed it and paled. "Harry Potter had a vision of you being tortured. That house elf of yours confirmed it," he paused for a moment as if listening to something.

"Summon the Order, Harry Potter and his friends are on their way to the Department of Mysteries."

xxx

When Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley and Merlin burst into that room all hell broke loose. Merlin rushed to Harry's side and blocked the oncoming wave of death eaters. A stunning spell hit him square in the chest but Merlin barely noticed. In a flash of gold the attacker was thrown across the room where he fell into a wall. Merlin turned to see Sirius battling Bellatrix. He glanced at Harry before rushing forward to help.

"Avada Kedavra!" she screeched but Merlin jumped forward and the spell hit him dead on. Behind him Sirius stumbled backwards. Merlin watched him fall backwards in horror and leaped forwards to catch him. The arch surrounded a crack in the veil. Sirius was swallowed by it but not before Merlin could grasp his arm. In his mind it was not Sirius falling into the veil, it was Lancelot. Most watched as the two members were pulled through the arch.

Harry leapt forward shouting for his godfather and his professor but Lupin grabbed his arm before he could sprint into the archway.

"Harry, there's nothing you can do…They're gone."

**See you all tomorrow. Sorry it's so short  
><strong>


	27. B5 ch 5

**I dedicate this chapter to one of the few people who left a review on the last chapter. Whether you realised it or not, you showed me that somebody out there still cares about this story. So everyone give a huge thank you to expectoligamentumarteriosum! Without you there would be no new chapter.**

The world was faded and colourless. Merlin twisted and turned, or at least he _thought_ he twisted and turned. He was disembodied. The place surrounded him and was thick like water. No end, no beginning, no nothing.

_Limbo_

The word popped into his head. He was in the world between life and death. Merlin searched for Sirius. He could feel it but at the same time he couldn't. Sirius was there, somewhere. Merlin was still clinging to him, preventing him from passing on.

A woman appeared in front of him. She was old and dressed in billowing robes.

"We meet again, Emrys," she said.

"So it would seem."

"You are immortal, Emrys, you cannot pass into the world of the dead. You have been rejected yet you cling to something. Why do you resist, Emrys?"

"I will not leave without Sirius Black. He does not belong in the world of the dead. He fell through the veil, he did not volunteer and he was not rejected from the world of the living. He was stolen from it."

The woman looked at him gravely. "He fell through the veil, Emrys, he cannot return."

Merlin opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

"Does a cliff return its victim because they tripped? No, the veil is not an open door unless you have a key. You may leave but you cannot take the man with you."

"No…I won't leave him. All those years ago you refused to accept my sacrifice because destiny had its own plan. This man is the closest thing Harry Potter has to family. Please, this man can give the boy the strength to go on and defeat Voldemort. Let him return and help Harry fulfil his destiny."

"You make a compelling argument but it is not my choice. This man was destined to die on this day. His death will drive the boy, give him motivation. As for family, the boy has you to confide in."

A faded silhouette seemed to rip its way into the non-existent world.

"Let me speak to him!" a more than familiar voice pleaded desperately.

"As you wish," the old woman replied before disappearing. The faded figure stumbled forward but Merlin caught her before she fell. She looked up at him and smiled. That simple smile made everything else fade out of existence. The fact that he suddenly had a body, the fact that he was releasing his hold on Sirius, the fact that he was spiralling out of control…None of it mattered, because she smiled. She was so real and alive. She was as beautiful as she had been on the day she'd died. Her dress made her look like royalty. He knew he was slipping out of limbo and tumbling back into the real world. In a split second he touched the skin of the veil and began to break through. In a single moment that seemed to last forever he saw the point where life and death crash into each other. The world of the dead ate away at the borders that separated it from the world of the living. Like water down a drain, any life that got too close would be pulled in. That was the fate of Sirius Black and in that split second Merlin saw and understood. For a moment that Merlin stretched into an eternity Freya hung in the balance with him. He knew there wasn't time for words so in a split second Merlin pored all of his magic into his palm. He was falling back into the world of the living but he clung desperately at the world of the dead. She had to see and then she'd know.

A speck of green.

The veil cracked.

The green speck grew into a stem.

The crack widened and threatened to swallow Merlin but he clung on.

Leaves sprouted from the stem.

Merlin screamed as he fell back through the veil, his hands outstretched as he tried to reach Freya. His feet hit the stone floor and he collapsed into sobs while cupped in his hands lay a perfect strawberry.

_Not enough time._

**Yes this chapter's a bit short but I wanted to leave it there. I hope this story touched your hearts and I hope it will instil enough guilt to convince you to leave a review. Leave a :) if you enjoyed and want more!**


	28. An Unfortunate Announcement

**I know, I know you were hoping this was a new chapter, that the Hiatus was over, that I'd go back to updating every day. Well, I decided to post this because we hit 100 followers…well that and I've had about ten reviews/PMs asking for updates. You guys have a right to know why I stopped posting new chapters.**

**Every book has a unique 'feel'. Does anybody else pick up on this? Or is it just me? Anyway, it's getting more difficult as the story grows darker. I have a plan to close off all the plot holes I opened up so I'm not worried about that but it's the actual WRITING part that gets me. Merlin being a teacher is great and all but it also complicates things a bit. Seriously just THINK about the sixth book. It's all about Harry trying to get the memory from Slughorn and how he struggles with his feelings for Ginny. Not to mention the Half Blood Prince's book and the lessons with Dumbledore…Now think about how a teacher fits into it. Exactly.**

**THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOU GUYS – You have a few choices so I need you guys to review with what you want me to do. At midnight on the 20****th**** (two days after I post this) I will count your votes and figure out what you guys want.**

**VOTING OPTIONS:**

**1)****I finish the series as it is, assume Merlin has had enough of the Hogwarts s**t and went back to Camelot to live in peace.**

**2)****I give you a brief outline of what happens in the sixth and seventh book then continue at the end of the seventh book to give you the ending I've had planned from the beginning.**

**3)****You guys wait and be patient as I try to struggle through the sixth book. Seriously though Merlin is dipping out in the Deathly Hallows after the trio go off to live in a tent, no way is he living with that s**t.**

**There you go! Hope you all leave a review, it's never been more important.**


	29. The Votes Are In

**Alright guys, you were all very enthusiastic. There were several voters who picked both two and three so I added a tally for each of them. I also got a few PM voters so thanks to you lot too!**  
><strong>Well, this has been a rough time for all of us. I think this took me about twenty minutes to tally up so let me savour the moment of anticipation.<strong>

***breathes deeply***

**Alright, here's what you all skipped past my rambling to read. It was a close call, I had hopes and crushing anxiety as you all decided my fate for me. Well, option one got one vote. Sorry to that guy but you were outnumbered by a lot. Option two got twenty two votes. I thank every single one of you for this is the answer I secretly hoped for. So option three has won with twenty six votes. Thank you for your continued support with this series, as it turns out we'll be seeing each other in sixth year.**

**For those of you that read my other fanfiction, Hogwart's First Frost, (if you haven't then you can ignore this since it doesn't effect you) I am sorry to say that this means the sequel will be cancelled. I've already written the first chapter so I'll hold onto it in case I decide to pick it up again when all this is done but I tend to write fast because the momentum carries me forward. Something tells me I spent a whole day writing over three thousand words for nothing…**


	30. B6 ch 1

**I finally hit inspiration. I hope you don't mind that Merlin is a little bit insane. Cut him a little slack, he did just get dragged through the afterlife and back. He'll recover so don't worry too much.**

Days he'd spent, weeks. Didn't matter, had to go, had to get away. Had to leave, why couldn't he leave? The forces of the old religion were dragging him back. He had a new destiny that he couldn't escape, oh but he did try. Finally he was cornered and he fell into the dirt before a towering house. He groaned and rolled over in pain as he struggled to get away. Anywhere else, had to get away. Couldn't go back to them, not after Sirius…not after Freya. He let out a sob that turned into an anguished scream. It was like being poisoned all over again, unable to control anything. He felt weak and useless.

"Stay here with the kids," he heard a voice say urgently. Then someone was by his side, rolling him over so they could get a good look at his face. Then there was a gasp and the someone was gone. Merlin alone again, he let out a moan.

"Let me die," he croaked. "Let it be over, let it finally be over."

"What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost," a woman's voice exclaimed somewhere to Merlin's left.

"It's Emryan," the man replied in disbelief. Merlin hissed at the sound of his false name and let out a painful scream.

"Get inside the house, it must be an imposter," the man shouted over the sound.

Merlin howled and screamed and writhed in a mental sort of agony. He was trapped, unable to return home. He wanted to be back in Camelot, the empty halls and silent village were less than satisfying but they reminded him of all that had been taken. They were his motivation to keep waiting patiently for his king's return. So it was thoughts of his lost kingdom that gave him the strength to keep fighting against the forces of the old religion. He was mostly at the Burrow but not quite, he still had a foot jamming the door open.

So he screamed and howled and writhed and screeched and hissed as he desperately tried to claw his way back through the door, back to his kingdom…back where he belonged. Sweat drenched his clothes and his hands reached to tug at a neckerchief that wasn't there. His modern clothes felt wrong.

Finally he felt a presence near. It was faint and almost non-existent to him but it was still there. When he opened his eyes they were golden and shone through the darkness, to anyone else everything would have looked blurry but Merlin was used to this vision. Through the blurred black and white images he saw colour, it glowed orange and left a trail when it shifted slightly. He recognised the magic and let out a sigh, the wand was ancient and held faint traces of old magic. The elder wand felt familiar and reassuring but he also knew who owned that wand. Albus Dumbledore had arrived.

"Leave me," Merlin hissed through clenched teeth as he focused on keeping the door slightly ajar, he couldn't let it close entirely. If he did all hope would be lost. What had Kilgharrah said all those years ago? No one can run away from their destiny. Well Merlin had graciously accepted the challenge of protecting the damn prince but this? Protecting a boy with a darkness at his core from a man of unimaginable evil? No, the wizarding world would have to defend itself because he was done.

"What happened to you, old friend?" Albus asked. Merlin let out a harsh laugh.

"Old, you know not the meaning of the word. You have lived but 150 years while I have lived almost ten of your lifetimes," he said with a sickening smile.

"What happened to you?" he insisted urgently.

"What do you think happened? I fell through the veil. I dragged myself through the skin trying to save the one called Sirius Black. But I was refused," Merlin answered. He winced and his eyes flashed impossibly brighter as the door inched open. He was visibly straining as sweat began to trickle down his face.

"That was not your fault," Albus said quietly.

"YOU KNOW NOT WHAT IT IS LIKE!" he screamed and his back arched as he struggled against the weight of the old religion. He clenched his teeth and opened his eyes again to stare at Albus.

"To come so close and have it all slip away," he said more quietly. "All that you have lost over your years here on earth, you can have it all back after in a little over a century. But I have to live in the hope that what I lost will be returned to me. I must hope that the prophecy will one day be completed when I know not when. I may walk this world for another thousand years, still waiting for my king to return. You have options of early escape but I have no such option. I can never be allowed to pass into the afterlife, I must sit and wait. You know not what pain it is to have no control over your own destiny."

"But the boy does, he is burdened with the truth that he shall either kill Lord Voldemort or be killed," Albus replied.

"It is different. In the days of Camelot the comparison would be similar but not now. For back then I had to protect one that had two destinies, unite the five kingdoms or be killed at the hand of one he trusted. The boy has two destinies in front of him: he can succeed and live or fail and die. Don't you see? I _failed_ and this is my punishment. There is no end game for me, there is just this. I live and wait and watch those around me shrivel and die," he panted. He was so close to slipping back through that doorway, so close to returning to Camelot.

"Then help him, he has his two paths but unlike Arthur he has no one to guide him."

The words made Merlin freeze, the colours began to melt back into the world and instead of seeing magic he _saw_. The dry grass that had grown to an impressive length in the field was the first thing he noticed, then the damp soil beneath his fingertips and the well-lit building that hung at an odd angle. Everything seemed so natural. Reluctantly he let the door swing shut and suddenly staring up at Dumbledore were two incredibly blue eyes.

"What makes you think that I am the one to lead him down the right path?" Merlin asked bitterly.

"Because I have faith," Albus replied thoughtfully.

**Sorry this took me SOOO long to write. You guys probably thought I abandoned it even though I agreed although I don't blame you, I started writing that other crossover didn't I? Anyway, as I said the chapters won't be the best quality and I won't upload them as frequently but I'll do my best. I'll see you all next time around.**


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